Photos by Kourosh Karimkhany
I made my way to H&M pretty late on Thursday after the Marni collaboration launched, and I expected to get nothing. There was still a giant line wrapped around the upstairs, which was good because it meant there was stuff left, but bad because it meant waiting. [click to continue…]
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I almost forgot this whole Marni at H&M thing was happening! So it was a really nice surprise to see these first peeps of two of the looks at Glamour.com today. Click for the images from Glamour!
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Photos by Kourosh Karimkhany
The women of rock and roll have always fascinated and amazed me. From Patti Smith with her perfect white button down shirts to Alison Mosshart with her to-die-for gold booties, rocker chicks know how to evoke a vibe that’s tough but sexy, glam but not trying too hard, and fun with just the right touch of anger.
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Our very own Shadin is fixing to get hitched next June! And to kick off the festivities, she and her fiancé Marwan and their families threw an engagement party at the Sofitel in Redwood City that rivaled my actual wedding. It was quite the affair to remember, with truly delicious food (not your typical hotel event space fare), great wine, and music that got everyone, grandmas and grandpas included, out of their seats. Especially memorable was Shadin’s ensemble, which could not have been more perfect. Just in case you’re planning your own prenuptial shindig—or if you have any semi-formal event coming up (holiday parties anyone?)—I wanted to break down Shadin’s engagement party outfit for you. It was a wonderful combination of bold (leopard) yet restrained (not leopard velvet), muted (browns and blacks) and colorful (teal earrings and shoes!), polished (fancy Kate Spade earrings) but relaxed (comfy maxi dress). She also wore a lovely gifted gold bracelet from her mother, which she received as a gift for her own wedding (I improvised below with an antique from Barney’s). Leave it to Shadin to get it exactly right. And now you can too!
Hair: Jennifer Atala at The Secret Brush
Make up: Indiana at The Make Up Dolls
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I know, I’m predictable. Kaftans, maxi dresses, tribal prints, platforms (appropriately, it’s platform Tuesday!), huge jewelry, flowy flowiness: Mara Hoffman as always presented everything I’m a sucker for. AND the line was inspired by my idol Frida Kahlo. A mariachi band serenaded us as we elbowed through the packed crowd trying to get the best view of Hoffman’s vibrant collection. Every season she ups the tribal earth mother ante, and I am of course all for it. The hair and the shoes were also just sublime. And my favorite model was in the show to boot — check out the images below to see her perpetually happy face. Love her. You’ll also see me posing with a model once again. WHEN will I learn?? Oh, and apparently just AFTER I left, the designer came out with her adorable baby (last season she was very pregnant!). Thanks to the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week peeps for the photo I missed!
Click to see the Mara Hoffman Spring/Summer presentation slideshow!
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With New York fashion week fast approaching, I have been thinking a lot about my feet. My poor, battered feet — the pain I’ve put them through! They don’t deserve it one bit. I hope they realize my intentions have always been good. I’ve wanted only to make them look pretty — even sexy — which can be a tall order for feet (unless you have one of those fetishes). And while I believe I have sometimes succeeded, and even made the rest of me look taller and more attractive in the process, I’m starting to feel bad about my foot abuse. Mainly because it hurts and makes me not only miserable but unable to efficiently travel any significant distance on foot (significant being further than a block).
Which brings me back to fashion week, when my footwear will really be put to the test. I will run from show to show, ride the subway, and most likely get lost on the streets of New York more than once. Ironically this is when I’m inclined to abuse my feet more than normal. Feeling stylish for me has always gone hand in hand with sky-high platform shoes. But does it have to be that way?
Of course not. There is something decidedly lovely about a woman who’s comfortable, relaxed and above all not struggling to walk because of her stilettos. This dawned on me in a major way as I watched Midnight in Paris recently and marveled over Marion Cotillard’s sublime ’20s costumes. My favorite moments were her strolls through Paris with Owen Wilson. She was divine and charming and unstruggling as she navigated cobblestone streets in her two- maybe three-inch heels.
Image via AceShowbiz
Some women are pros at wearing heels and don’t suffer foot pain (or claim not to). Power to them, but sadly I can’t count myself among those lucky ladies. And it’s almost as painful to watch a woman walk awkwardly in high heels as it is to wear them. So as much as I ADORE these leopard Alaia 5.5-inch heel platform booties, I’m rethinking my approach for this fashion week. The thing is, I just CAN’T do flats. So here are some options I came up with, what do you guys think (you can scroll left to right)? Is it better to be tall and awesome with foot pain than short and comfortable?
P.S. It was hard to find shoes that were cute and under three inches, so some of these are three inches and the Michael Kors are 3.75.
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Since my first Marni platform shoe sighting maybe five or so years ago, I have been in love with the Italian design house. There is something architectural but still playful about Marni shoes as well as the clothes. I recently came across a description at New York Magazine’s The Cut fashion blog that summed up Marni’s appeal perfectly: “If art teachers were chic and rich, they’d probably wear Marni.”
So I was terribly excited when I encountered a pair of Marni wooden-heeled open-toe clogs (which I suppose is technically a mule but isn’t that the worse shoe name ever?) at Simply Chic in San Francisco, a luxury vintage boutique I seem to be writing about an awful lot lately. But they were size 38, which I figured would not fit because usually in European shoe sizes I take a 36 or 37. But alas, they fit perfectly! (I don’t really get this, I thought shoe sizes were quite consistent, unlike dress sizes? Anyway.) I had no choice but to take them home with me. They are like new, with the original shoe bags and box. I’d love to know what year they’re from if anyone happens to know. The best part about them is the lucite layer between the wooden sole and the upper of the shoe — and they’re Marni, and they’re mine!
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Usually on Platform Tuesday I write about platforms that I covet, but today, I’m upset. OK, so lots of Jeffrey Campbell’s shoes are kinda nutty. But these particular models, the “Jumper” (please do not jump in these) have NO ARCH. And not in the sense that there’s not much support in that place where you’d like to feel something cushiony, but in that there is an actual gap of space — indeed, an absence of shoe — where one might desire an arch to be. Lori’s shoes claims the T-strap keeps “feet secure and comfortable atop the eye-catching illusory base.” The sad part is NO ONE WILL SEE your poor foot being tortured by an absent shoe part because your falling arch will be covering the void! I don’t know what else to say except: Mr. Campbell, why do you hate our feet? And this coming from someone who owns these.
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I have many tall friends who love wearing extra tall shoes and, at 5’9″ myself, I get it (and you know we love us some sky-high platforms here at Stylenik). There’s something great about taking your height to new levels, especially when you can literally look down on men. There’s this brief flash of insecurity in their eyes that I admit I relish. Not only do they have to look up to talk to me, but I can see their bald spots.
But when you live in a city, you need to walk (especially in one as hilly as San Francisco) and so I’m always on the hunt for the perfect ballet flat, which is frustratingl elusive. Here’s where most ballet flats go wrong:
- Cut too high: The front and sides of the shoe reach high on the foot. Although this is more comfortable, it is not flattering.
- Cut too low: It’s more flattering, but the shoe opening usually rubs the bones of your feet which is brutally uncomfortable to walk in (thus my gorgeous cherry wine Tory Burch flats that sit unused in my closet).
- Minimal sole: most companies think of the ballet flat as gamine, so they make the sole thin and delicate — also brutally uncomfortable for the foot.
- Too much sole: a ballet flat is not a sneaker and too many designers seem confused about this.
Happily, I have found the perfect ballet flat in Air Bacara Ballet flats by Maria Sharapova for Cole Haan (they come in six colors!). They’re cut low enough to be cute but not uncomfortable and they divide the sole support between the ball of the foot and heel so it’s not bulky but still supportive. According to a New York Times article I read today Sharapova’s ballet flats are a bestseller for Cole Haan. Here’s hoping other shoe companies sit up and take notice!
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My loyal reader and friend Kate of The Styley has called me out on my lax treatment of Platform Tuesday, ostensibly a regular feature here at Stylenik, and I thank her for it. It’s Thursday, and it seems Plaform Tuesday never actually falls on a Tuesday anymore. There are platforms to be worshiped, and it should be done promptly!
Today I’m spreading the love for these colorful Jil Sander cork wedge babies. Refinery29 featured them in their spring wedge roundup, and they seem to be exclusively available at Mrs. H ($504, I know, yikes), an online retailer I hadn’t previously encountered. But I’m glad I did because they have a pretty sweet “T-shirt shop,” and they sell this amazing Christopher Kane convertible dress.
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