I love New York (not the draq queen, the fashion folks!)

New York fashion week, Fall 2008 kicks international ass. LA, London, Paris, Tokyo all do their thing but New York brings the glitz and drama, hands down. As Zac Posen said "entertainment is serious". One thing I realized is that trends are truly beginning to repeat themselves, just in different textures and bolder hues. But it's all good, especially when designers like Max Azria, Badgley Micshka, Donna Karan, Miss Sixty, Zac Posen and Temperley London (all my personal favorites this season fyi) have celebrities lined up and down their front rows. AND let's not forget the fresh faces that are gracing practically every runway, ahem...Chanel Iman, Agyness Deyn, Coco Rocha and a few others whose names I haven't learned. Oh and just for thought, its 2008 and we're still only seeing occasional faces of color on the runway and I adore Marc Jacobs but I swear all his models come from the same family because they're all identical!! I'll save that rant for later. But the fall will be all about refined and well tailored pieces with that little flair that makes them all our own. In the meantime, let's pray for heat, folks. Fashion was meant for show. Peacoats gotta go!

Updates?!

I'm On Strike!!!
;-)

...And Nine West Does Prada

Continuing in the fashion of similar shoes, while browsing Nine West one day, I noticed how a certain pair of shoes had elements similar to the Prada's Vernice Sfumata Pump that was seen on the runway with the footless kneehighs. $59.99 isn't too bad compared to $550.00. But hey, you be the judge.


Prada vs. Nine West



To purchase the Nine West Pair, visit HERE.
To purchase the Prada pair, visit the Saks Website HERE.
And while youre at it, get FREE SHIPPING on the Saks website when making a purchase of $150 or more until October 14th. Use promotion code SAKS5FS.

You Too Can Be As Cool As Beyonce

I don't watch TV often, let alone music videos, but when I seen Beyonce in her "Green Light" video - which is one of my favorite songs on the album - not too long ago parading about in these ballerina-esque shoes, I was intrigued. I also loved how Rihanna did real ballet shoes in her Umbrella video. But I just may have found a site to purchase the heeled version from! I would like to introduce to you Punitiveshoes.com. This website sells all sorts of shoes with abstract heels. The one that I found similar to Beyonce's pair was Lavina.


If the conversion price from US to Euro wasn't so high, I'd actually consider purchasing a pair. Although I used to take ballet as a young girl, I doubt that I could last long in these! But I just love the idea of something different. For those of you who are interested in purchasing this pair, you can do so HERE.

But here's a screen shot from the video to compare.
Beyonce - Green Light

(picture courtesy of cakeandice-cream.blogspot.com)

Dun Dun Dun...Steve Madden Does It Again

You know, I'm quite surprised that Christian Louboutin has not filed any lawsuits against Steve Madden as of yet. Granted every brand does platforms or similar shoes, I think the main problem is the fact that Steve Madden look-a-like shoes come out at the same time as the Louboutins.

They currently have these covetable knotted platforms...


that can be purchased HERE on the Neiman Marcus website.

Or you can get a similar pair at Steve Madden

HERE.

As I was browsing Style.com fashion parties, I spotted Dr. Lisa Airan in Rodarte and what appears to be red soled Louboutins.


And low and behold guess what white\black caged pumps you can purchase on Steve Madden...


I think they're classy looking shoes so if you want to purchase them, you can check them out on the Steve Madden website HERE.

I understand the idea of wanting to provide the consumer with a similar item for less but just maybe this copying issue has been going a bit too far lately. Then again, the saying goes "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".

Drop It When It's Hot...Pick It Up When It's Cold

WAAHHH!
I've been overwhelmed with other stuff that I haven't had time to blog about Spring Fashion! =/ There's shows still going on overseas...But soon come, I PROMISE. In the mean time, I just wanted to showcase some of my older sister's talent. *smooches* We all know the chilly weather will soon be upon us and with my short hair do, I needed something to cover up my wee lil' head. So my sister was nice enough to knit me a hat! Wearing a hat keeps your body heat in and it's been great for my bad hair days. LOL. I know you can get one at Urban Outfitters or something like that, but why not have an original one. ;-) If you would like to have a hat made for you, just drop me a message! I'm not too keen on showing myself but here's yours truly wearing the hat...

Say Whhaattt - Older Women Still Love Their Sneakers

Soooo, I recently got the opportunity to write an article for FemaleSneakerFiend (Hi Lori!). I interviewed several women 21 and older about their opinion on still collecting sneakers although they're considered "too grown" to do so. I myself collect sneakers but often get the notions from other people that I should move on to more womanly shoes, like heels and flats. Don't get me wrong, I love 4 inch heels just as much as any other young woman, but I love my Nikes as well! Check out what the ladies had to say in my article HERE!

NY Times Read: Fashion Designers Fighting Knockoff Fashions

As I was floating through the New York Times Fashion&Style section, I stumbled upon an interesting read. It appears that designers are fed up with clothing chains such as Forever 21 and Strawberry making inspired fashion based on their designs and are seeking to outlaw this. What makes this so interesting is the fact that I just recently blogged about designers copying "high end" fashion.

I am on the fence with this subject, still fighting myself on which side I agree with. I do not agree with copying a complete look as some "low end" retailers have done; I'm big on originality. Yes, we do get inspiration from others but blatantly copying the whole design is just wrong. But on the other hand, you get a look for less. You can have an upscale look without paying the price. Who doesn't love that?! Buying a complete designer look can cost you a few months of New York City's rent! We're all not made of money but we all want to look fashionable so I see the need for cheaper inspired clothing. But this just brings me back to the knock-off handbags you see on the street. You would never purchase a fake bag so why purchase a "fake" high end fashion design?

Nevertheless, you must also think about the fact that you may be sacrificing quality for a cheaper price. Yes, Christian Louboutin shoes will run you HUNDREDS of dollars compared to the decent price of Steve Madden's $149.95. BUT, with Louboutin you know you're getting a shoe made of the finest quality. I recently watched a TLC show profiling his brand and I learned something very interesting...he technically (hired a team of specialists) designed the heel placement so that a woman can walk comfortably in them for hours on end, that her legs are elongated AND so that the derrière is nice & high like it should be. Now that's what you pay HUNDREDS for; doesn't it seem worthwhile? Then again, you get more wears out of classic handbag and shoes so you would seek out and purchase the "high end" ones; clothing constantly changes with the season so consumers may not want to invest so much money into something that may be "out of style" soon.

I can go back & forth forever on the topic but you can read the article and make your own decision HERE.