Please Stop the Shock Shoes

They were the shoes heard 'round the world: Alexander McQueen's spring 2010 "armadillo heels."  And when they first walked the runway a year and a half ago, I loved them.  At a staggering 10 inches high, the footwear was the perfect compliment to the late designer's otherworldly, underwater collection. Audience members gawked at them, and several models flat-out refused to walk the show in them due to safety issues (a valid argument, I would say).

Nina Ricci fall '09, Alexander McQueen fall '11, Mugler fall '11

Those were not the first outrageous shoes to teeter down the runway, though.  Oliver Theyskens sent a heelless pair out in Paris for Nina Ricci in the fall 2009 season (top, left) that caused a stir in the fashion industry. Different versions of sky high platforms have been seen often on the runways ever since.  However, anyone who has taken a basic fashion course has probably heard the old rule that, "All trends end in excess."  And that's what seems to be happening with these part stripper heel, part piece of art hybrids.  With the platforms getting more and more chunky, heights towering ever more high, you have to admit that many runway shoes are starting to look plain absurd.

The fact of the matter is, none of these heels will ever even make it to retail.  They make one appearance at show time, only to be taken immediately after and placed in some storage room for forever more.  Brands produce far more toned down versions for the buying public; and unless someone like Daphne Guinness or Lady Gaga decides that she wants a pair, they will never see the light of day again.  So what's the point?  Say what you will about artist license, but fashion shows are first and foremost a tool for designers to showcase their collections to buyers and editors.  These buyers and editors then serve the general public by selling or reporting on the newest fashions.  Sending out these monstrosities on poor girls' feet isn't doing anyone any good at this point.

And aside from that reasoning, I'm just plain sick of embellished platforms.  There's nothing exciting or fresh about them after seeing variations on the same version for five seasons in a row.  Thus, I would like to commend Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga and Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy for sending out the below gorgeous, sophisticated shoes for their fall 2011 shows.  After a relatively long absence from the runways, pointy toe pumps feel like a subtly sexy alternative to overtly sexual platforms.  These sleek designs exemplify that this style doesn't have to be boring; eye catching slits and statement making patterns can still keep things interesting without resorting to publicity stunts.

Balenciaga fall '11 (above), Givenchy fall '11 (below).  Images via the Cut

On The Fringe

What with the Fall collections almost done showing, it's time to start focusing on the trends they've produced. While there was a big emphasis this season on modern textures (like plastic) and 60's shape, there was the Native American influence that popped up from show to show as well. While I can delve into 60's style a little here and there, plastic is not my thing. I like sensual fabrics that move with the body. So you can bet I've been much more inspired by the Native trends for fall. Something I'd never delved into in that realm is fringe. It's fun and kitsch, but still, for the most part, wearable. It's a little more summery than it is cold-weather, so hopefully I'll be able to break out some mean fringe come May or June.

Brand and price info found here

Pucci Fall 2011 RTW Close-ups

Fall '11 NYFW Streetstyle by Tommy Ton

One of the reasons that Tommy Ton is one of my favorite streetstyle photographers is because rather than just posting full body shots of famous editors, models, and the like, he focuses on really interesting aspects of their outfits that otherwise would go unnoticed.  It was less than a month ago that I last posted some of his photos for Style.com, but here I go again.  I had noticed that some of the show goers at couture week were looking more relaxed than usual, but that's all changed, as they've pulled out all the stops for the ready-to-wear collections.  These are just a couple of my favorite shots, with no particular theme in mind.  However, the two biggest trends that seem to keep popping up are fur (of course), and craft influences (what have I been telling you all along?).

Vena Cava Fall 2011 Nails

I wasn't overly impressed with the clothes in Vena Cava's fall 2011 collection, but one aspect of the show that I can definitely get behind are the nails.  A lot of the beauty styles seen on the runways are a little intense for everyday life, or just plain outlandish, but this is a simple look that can easily be duplicated to make you feel trendy and ahead of the curve.  Plus, after trying every color of the rainbow on my digits the old-fashioned way, it's time to try something new and innovative.  This is absolutely one that I will be wearing at home

images via refinery29

Thoughts on Fall 2011

"Just like artists make paintings to go on a wall or perform in a way to fit a space, they're designing clothes to fit people's bodies.  It's like watching a moving sculpture."

As much as I hate that it's true; my life is pretty hectic right now.  I returned home from New York yesterday to knocked down curtains and unraveled toilet paper thanks to my rambunctious kitten, I have a decent amount of schoolwork to do, I still haven't unpacked from my trip, and I desperately need a trip to the gym.  All that, plus it's a beautiful 60 degrees and sunny here in southern Kentucky today, and all that I really want to do is sit outside on my balcony and read a good book.

So in lieu of reviewing any shows for now, here are some of my favorite NYFW moments so far: a quote Kalup Linzy gave at the Cynthia Rowley show; buns woven with fabric at Thakoon; Kate Foley's outfit that she wore to Lincoln Center on Sunday; looks that appear to be layered, but are really all one piece so that you don't have to deal with actually putting together layers yourself at Preen; and Alexander Wang's outstanding fall collection that has completely renewed my faith in the young designer.

Sources: first three, the Cut; Preen images, Style.com

Live from Lincoln Center

Blogging today from the Lincoln Center Starbucks at 63rd and Broadway in NYC.  We just saw Jill Stuart walk... be jealous.  Expect more info and pictures later.  For now, we're off to the Museum of Natural History!