Happy.New.Year.2013

To.All.My.Readers:

(source: www.123newyear.com)

With the New Year, comes bigger challenges and opportunities.
Beat the challenges and grab the opportunities, with an equal zeal.
Have a promising and fulfilling New Year! 

-The.Shoe.Freak

2012.New.Year.&.New.Challenges

To all my readers,

Year 2012 has started with lots of new challenges and new opportunities for me in my career. My life has been a hectic and somewhat crazy non-stop flurry of workload and travels ever since as I have been living in-and-out of my suitcase for most part of the year so far. Traveling around the globe and being in-between cities, hotel rooms and airports is thrilling but does not allow much time for anything else.

This has led to this complete silence and lack of post on The.Shoe.Freak and I am truly sorry for that, especially since all this traveling and the wonderful projects I have been working on have given me so much material and inspiration to write about.

Soon, many new posts to come on The.Shoe.Freak about the cities I have had the chance to visit and the wonderful fashion I have seen as well as the amazing cultures I've had the incredible fortune to discover.

Stay Tuned!

Thank you all for your continued support.

-The.Shoe.Freak

p.s: the pics below are a foretaste of places and things I have done and seen. Enjoy!

-Asia:

(Hong.Kong.Skyline)

(View.From.My.Hotel.Room.Of.The.Hong.Kong.Skyline.At.Night)

(Hotel.Room.In.China)

(All.That.Glitters: China.Fabric.Market)

 -Europe:

(London.Streets)

(Tasty.Desserts.In.London)

(Selfridges.London)

(Hotel.Room.In.Paris)

(Beautiful.Paris)

(Beautiful.Paris.2)

Ladies.Fall.2011.Fashion.Trend: Fringe

As the 20's, 60's and 70's are important influences in today's fashion trends, elements of design from those eras are used by designers to create full on collections. Fringes are one of those fashion design elements that were back in full force on the catwalks internationally.

From the flapper days of the 20's to the fringe profusion of the peaceful 60's and disco 70's, designers have fringed bags, shoes, shirts, dresses and anything else possible so it seems. Besides the traditional suede and leather, other fabrics like knits, thick jerseys, furs, feathers as well as wool have been also making their way down the runways.

Lets take a look at some of my favorite fringe looks and pieces for Fall.2011.

-Subtle.Romance

(Valentino/Jason.Wu/Temperley.London)

-Edgy.Streets

(Barbara.Bui/Roberto.Cavalli/Gareth.Pugh)

-Trendsetting.Fashionista

(Isabel.Marant/Balmain/Alice.&.Olivia)

-Gorgeous.20's

(John.Galliano/Jason.Wu/Temperley.London)

-Knits.&.Wools

(Dsquared2/Anna.Sui/Iceberg)

-Feathers

(Iceberg/Jason.Wu/John.Galliano)

Stay tuned for my next few posts as I will explore fringes in the Footwear and Handbag categories in fashion.

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: style.com)

My.Collaborations: YourKloset.Com.#12

My newest article for YourKloset.com is out. It talks about Sex as a tool for fashion brands in marketing; all strategies by marketing mavens in order to keep their names out there. Debating if Sex Sells is somewhat unrealistic as we know that sexual connotations always stir some kind of reaction, therefore keeping a brands name out there. However, in today's society, do we still need so much sexual images or references to be relevant?


You can read my article called "Sex Sells...?" by clicking here.


I would love to know your take on this as well as what are in your minds the most controversial Fashion Ad you have ever seen.


Here are pictures of some other controversial fashion Ad campaigns by leading brands and designers.

American.Apparel

Diesel

Emanuel.Ungaro

Sisley

Tom.Ford

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: www.fashionist.ca)

Fall.2011.Handbags.Fashion.Trend: Textured.Metallics

Metallics have been constantly showing up on runways for the past few seasons now, but for the Fall.2011 season, they have been used in every segment of one's wardrobe. In the handbag category, metallics were often used as trims on big bags or, when used all over, on smaller bags likes clutches. But this season, they are used on almost every shape out there, and most importantly, as the main fabric. Therefore, textured fabrics are used by designers in order to tame down the shininess and give the style a new dimension. Textured fabrics such as cracked, chopped, distressed &/or grainy leathers, as well as animal skins (snakes, crocos and ostrich to name a few) in full on metallic colors such as gold, silver, rose gold, pewters and bronze.

Mulberry is leading the way with this trend by interpreting it on their iconic "Alexa" and "Bayswater" styles as seen below:

Mulberry's.'Alexa'

Mulberry's.'Bayswater'

In the below video, many more options in the Textured Metallics trend in Handbags for Fall.2011 are featured.

Are you ladies digging the trend?

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: net-a-porter.com/nordstrom.com)

Please.Excuse.My.M.I.A.

To All,

please excuse my lack of posts as of late. I have been Missing In Action for the past few weeks, being busy traveling and working extra hard on my day job; my design career. Plenty of new posts coming up very soon, promise. Please stay tuned!

I leave you with these Ladies.&.Mens.Shoes.Of.The.Day images for all to gush over...

-Ladies.Shoes.Of.The.Day

(Giuseppe.Zanotti.Fall.2011)

(Giuseppe.Zanotti.Fall.2011)

(Lanvin.Fall.2011)

-Mens.Shoes.Of.The.Day

(Alexander.McQueen.Fall.2011)

(Opening.Ceremony.Fall.2011)

(Zara.Fall.2011)

Enjoy!

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: giuseppezanottidesign.com/mrporter.com/luisaviaroma.com/zara.com)

Shoes.Of.The.Day: Buckles

This installment of my Shoes.Of.The.Day segment is based on the countless hours of research I do every season in the name of fashion. While looking through all the pictures of shoes I had saved on my laptop, I realized most of them had buckles adorned to them, either multiple ones or just the simple lonely one on a pair of boot. No matter what, this realization made me push further into the research stage. And this led me to conclude that buckles were in fact a big 'detail' trend for Fall.2011, especially in the footwear industry.

Buckles can be viewed as trivial and overlooked by consumers but in fact, they are detail-oriented pieces that add significant purpose and value to a design. This being said, there are many different varieties of buckles, in different shapes and forms, with different qualities. Of course, this adds, determines and justifies price tags of an item. Designers use them wisely as variables in their creations. 

Below are my Shoes.Of.The.Day with buckles as a prominent detail. They are both from Alexander McQueen, which I have to admit, is my designer of the moment.

-Ladies.Shoes.Of.The.Day

(Alexander.McQueen.Fall.2011)

Who: Alexander McQueen 
What: Buckled suede boot
Why: How gorgeous are these boots ladies? The color, a rich Cobalt Blue, which is a strong Fall.2011 color by the way, is beautiful. The detailing, so McQueen, is interesting with the turned-over flap and appealing forms of the panels. The blocked heel is perfectly proportioned to the rest of the design elements. And finally, the fastening tabs with the gold buckles add the final touch. Swoon Ladies, Swoon!

How Much: $1,225 Us (@net-a-porter.com)

-Mens.Shoes.Of.The.Day

(Alexander.McQueen.Fall.2011)

Who: Alexander McQueen 
What: Leather triple buckle boot
Why: Everything about this boot is amazing. Love the triple buckled flap. Love the gold metal tips at the round cap toe and heel. Love the thick stitching. Love the leather sole. Love the right height of the ankle boot. All these fine design and detail elements that are subtle yet oh so cool and modern. I love love love and want them so bad!!!

How Much: $955 Us (@barneys.com)

And finally, since there was way too many options out there, I have assembled some of my favorites in the below video. Enjoy!

Which ones are your favorites?

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: barneys.com, bergdorfgoodman.com, saksfifthavenue.com, nordstrom.com, luisaviaroma.com, mrporter.com, net-a-porter.com)

 

Looks.Of.The.Day

Looks.Of.The.Day is a new segment I have started on my Facebook page exclusively which showcases one head-to-toe look each for both sexes. The criteria is pretty simple and is similar to my regular Shoes.Of.The.Day and Bags.Of.The.Day segments; total looks that I like and would wear (when it comes to men clothing of course). Total looks meaning the end result and the way the look is styled and put together; from hair to make-up, accessories to shoes and obviously, the clothes. Sometimes both the men and ladies look will be coordinated and defined by colors, trends, or details and sometimes they will be completely differentiated.

Below are examples of Looks.Of.The.Day as seen on The.Shoe.Freak's FB page:

(3.1.Phillip.Lim.Fall.2011/Louis.Vuitton.Fall.2011)

If you haven't visited my Facebook page (and "liked" it, just saying), click here.

What are your favorite Looks.Of.The.Day?

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: style.com)

Mens.Footwear.Designer: H.by.Hudson.Fall.2011

My previous post, about footwear, was for the ladies. Now comes the turn for you gentlemen. Hudson, a London footwear company primarily focused on menswear produces gorgeous footwear for us fashion lovers. Focused on high quality & designed footwear with an affordable price tag. The company, after establishing their Hudson label, created H by Hudson, the rebellious little brother brand which enabled the company to reach a broader scope of customer while keeping the successful DNA of the company intact. The design elements & creative concept as well as the first-rate workmanship & overall quality offered by H by Hudson are simply amazing. 

I just love the brand so much as I've featured a few pairs already on The.Shoe.Freak, and below are reasons why (from their Fall.2011 collection):

Montreal is slowly (but surely) catching up to the H by Hudson commotion. You can find them at great Montreal-based online retailer SSENSE.

And finally ladies, the company has created a smaller range of the H by Hudson collection due to high demand and requests from customers.Check it out here.

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: hudsonshoes.com)

My.Collaborations: YourKloset.Com.#11

My collaboration with the blogazine YourKloset.com, as mentioned in previous posts, is a monthly one. Therefore, I am already at my 11th article for the blogazine. Time passes by so fast, it is somewhat surreal. I am mentioning my 11th article on my blog as I thought it was very pertinent for my readers to know about it. You have all been witness of my constant babble of everything that is animal skins recently. My newest article for YourKloset called "To Fur or Not to Fur, that is the question..." hypes the trends but also confronts and discusses the debates which these trends create.

Intrigued? You can click here to read the article in its entirety.

I would love to get your feedback and comments on the subject.

For all my other articles for YourKloset.com, you can click here.

-The.Shoe.Freak

Ladies.Footwear.Designer: Jeffrey.Campbell.Fall.2011

If you guys don't know the footwear label Jeffrey Cambpell yet, it might mean you have been living under a rock for the past few years and/or haven't been reading my blog as the brand is arguably the hottest and one of the most "need-to-know" shoe brand out there. The fashion forward Los Angeles label is a mix of edgy modernity with vintage inspiration. Their design and concepts are distinct and clearly focused on details. The use of funky fabrics and wild color combinations provides a hip yet unconventional element to their designs.

Below are some of my favorites from their Fall.2011 collection:

Montreal has definitely embraced the label as its shoes seem to be everywhere; Fashionistas are sporting their designs and a variety of boutiques and retailers are carrying the line. Jeffrey Campbell is truly a label that needs to be discovered, if it hasn't already! 

Check them out at www.jeffreycampbellshoes.com or at stores like Little Burgundy and Browns in the Montreal area.

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: jeffreycampbellshoes.com/littleburgundyshoes.com/brownsshoes.com)

Fall.2011.Fashion.Trend: Ostrich

As you can probably attest from the past few posts on The.Shoe.Freak, animal skins are all I seem to talk about these past few weeks. But with reason, Animal skins, especially in the handbag and footwear industry, are huge and sought after trends for the Fall.2011 season, especially in Womenswear. I have covered Leopard, Python and now comes Ostrich. 

(Miu.Miu's.Ostrich.Skin.for.Fall.2011)

Ostrich skins and imprimés are always a classic in one's wardrobe as they never go out of style and are truly timeless, especially since browns, blacks and navies are usually "the" colors you will see the skin, or its pattern, in. However, for Fall.2011, designers have gone all colorful on us by using shades like emerald greens, deep purples, cobalt blues, mustard, hot pinks, cognacs and tans as well as all metallics; an array of delightful colors which compliment a wardrobe.

Lets us look at the best footwear and handbag items using Ostrich for Fall.2011 focused primarily on womenswear for this video post.

Other animal skins and imprimés such as zebra, snakes, furs, feathers and so on are also very present this Fall.2011...I will cover Furs in a future blog entry as it is as big and/or bigger than for Fall.2010, trend wise. 

Stay tuned!

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: bloomingdales.com/neimanmarcus.com/net-a-porter.com/shopbop.com/barneys.com/nordstrom.com/farftech.com/bergdorfgoodman.com/luisaviaroma.com/saksfifthavenue.com)

Fall.2011.Zara.Looks: Menswear

Everyone knows my love for Zara. The fast-fashion chain knows how to pick up on off-the-moment trends and produce looks that seem straight out of a runway. But what makes them even better are the looks they put together. The styling is always great and make you want to buy the clothes. I must admit, they influence my way of putting my looks together. 

This post is targeted to the fellows (sorry ladies! But actually, this post will give you ladies ideas on how to dress your man!). Guys, its very easy to look good and put together. And at Zara, you can look stylish and groomed for a fraction of the price compared to high-end retailers.

Here are my top 10 looks for Fall.2011 in Menswear from Zara.

Look.1: Love the color combination...Mustard and Grey with the checkered shirt and sweet bow-tie, great.

Look.2: The checkered blazer is awesome as well as the deep rounded sweater in a beautiful navy.

Look.3: Love the satin lapel of the fitted blazer worn with the waxed/glazed jeans. Trendy but casual.

Look.4: Another way of doing semi-formal. Those great waxed jeans again with the scooped sweater and great grey blazer. Chic and timeless.

Look.5: Love the chill vibe I get from this look. Love the contrast-trimmed lapel on the blazer. Great look for drinks.

Look.6: Awesome color combination. Color-blocking at its best. Great weekend look.

Look.7: Great velvet blazer, Great bow-tie. Very Chuck Bass. (the only thing I'm not digging is the cuff of the shirt sticking out - so 1990's in all its negativeness)

Look.8: Another great color-blocking option. Love the mustard deep V-neck. The coat is stunning. Just a complete great look finished off with awesome boots.

Look.9: Trendy dandy. Love everything about this. From the boots to the blazer and the gloves.

Look.10: And finally my favorite Look. This is how I would wear it. Love the boots, rolled up pants, checkered shirt, great coat and to finish off, stunning bag. Love the way the tie is tucked in, great styling detail. I want everything from this look.

Its easy & simple to look put together and it really does not take a lot of money nor effort. Zara is truly a great one-stop shop. Check it out if you guys haven't yet. Putting pieces together & mix and matching items is what creates a good look. Don't be afraid to try things out. 

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: zara.com)