SHOW + TELL SS12 : MANOLO PUMP POWER

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

For those of you too young to remember when shoes were not gimmicky, odd-looking, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink affairs with platforms, wedges, frills, multi-colours and ugly heels, here's a surprise. Once upon a time not very long ago, high-heeled fashion shoes were simply beautiful. They had sleek lines, no gimmicks and were generally a joy to behold. You slipped then on, they elevated the body by a few inches, lengthened the legs pushed out the hips at a certain sexy angle and that was it - good for a sexy sashay, and if needs be, to sprint a bit too.

The go-to man for beautiful shoes was Manolo Blahnik. Then along came the very lovely Mr. Louboutin, Mr. Kirkwood, Prada, Miu Miu, YSL and co adding more and more inches to their platforms until the day someone, somewhere said ENOUGH! Marc Jacobs was one of them. For both his Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs shows, his shoe designs directly referenced Manolo Blahnik signature mules and stilettos, and they were gorgeous, and now much copied on the high street.

The master at work. (Photo:Michael Roberts)

Mmmanolo!

Another was American Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley, who told the New York Times in a very prescient feature last October, "Fashion had to turn on its heel and return to beautiful shoes. They're a staple, something you have to have in your refrigerator like butter, or milk." My favourite line in the story was what the writer, Guy Trebay, saved until last. It was a quote from Sarah Jessica Parker, who should have shares in Manolo Blahnik, or at least a lifetimes supply, after she popularised Blahnik through her character Carrie's obsession with the shoes. "I walked in and looked around and saw all these shoes, and then I spotted the Manolos and it was like water in the desert," she said. "I was just so excited to see a simple black pump."

I'm with them. My latest shoe purchase is the "Opyum" by YSL. A beautiful shoe. Or as the Americans say a beautiful "pump".

Opyum 

The other day I was re-arranging my shoe cupboard so I could lend my little sister a pair for a wedding, and I came across an old pair of YSL platform ankle boots. You know the ones with a gold line around the platform?  At one point in about 2006 or 7 every fashion editor I knew had a pair. At the time, they felt like serious platforms. I wiped the dust off them and slipped one on for old times sake. They felt like wearing nothing. To think they once they seemed so high.

For sure, there is now a backlash in place against gimmicky shoes. Perhaps for now they have scaled their highest heights and reached the weight limit for studs and other hardware. That isn't to say I don't love Nicholas Kirkwood's shoes for Meadham Kirchhoff. I LOVE, but I would look like a clown in them.

Nicholas Kirkwood for Meadham Kirchhoff SS12

Louis Vuitton SS12

THE WEEK IN FASHION: OCTOBER 31st- NOVEMBER 4th

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Another week has gone by in the wonderful world of fashion, so here are all the stories which have caught our eye this weeek...

Tate Liverpool's Alice in Wonderland exhibition begins today and that theme seems to fit in perfectly with some of SS12's whimsical, back to childhood themes- think Christopher Kane's flower sticker coats and Meadham Kirchhoff's sugar sweet homage to girlishness.  But it seems that the exhibition offers a truly in-depth look at all the aspects of Alice's Adventures which have caused so much debate for so many years- What were Carroll's true motives? How are we to read into certain elements of the plot? If we happen to be anywhere up North before 29th January then we will definitely be dropping in for a look around. If you manage to go, do let us know how it was for you.

Alice Pleasance Liddell, the little girl said to have inspired Carrol's book. This is a picture he took in 1859, from amadelio.org

The story of the House of Fabergé is inextricably linked with the History of Europe. In 1917, Peter Carl Fabergé and his family were forced to abandon their business to flee from the Bolshevik uprising. In the ensuing events, they lost the rights to use the name upon which they had built their fortune, creating bejewelled eggs for some of the most prestgious families in Europe and Russia. However in October 2007, the House and the family were reunited once more. They are now making jewellery which heavily references the classic Fabergé with its incredible detail and use of the most intricate of techniques. Now, Mario Testino has worked alongside Carine Roitfeld, producer Camilla Johnson-Hill and Fabergé's Creative Director Katharina Flohr to create the house's first advertising campaign. Essentially, this is the tale of the most old school of brands reinventing itself for today. We might think of Fabergéas something we would see in a mueseum or a book, but maybe we should be prepared for those preconceptions to be thwarted. Their model is Bee Gee- I had to read that detail several times, I was thinking that I was about to see Maurice Gibb in an egg pendant- who apprently encompasses the Russia/ Europe relationship which Fabergé wants to enhance. If they have the Carine/ Mario power team on board, they could hardly fail, could they?

Bee Gee, decked out in jewels befitting of a Russian Grand Duchess, or Oligarch's wife

The BFC showrooms have continued their world tour, which have so far seen British designers exhibiting their SS12 colllections in Paris, LA and New York, in Hong Kong this week. They received a warm welcome from the Chinese fashion industry with Angelica Cheung, Editor of Vogue China, hosting a tea for them. Lane Crawford, one of Hong Kong's biggest department stores, also put on an in-store event followed by a big party in Victoria Harbour. All this seems proof that everywhere in the world right now, there is a buzz about British desingers and the BFC is doing a very good job of capitalising on that. Louise Gray told Vogue "It was great - I got some brilliant new stockists over there"- job done.

We can see why Louise Gray went down a treat in Hong Kong (image from Vogue.co.uk)

 We're feeling an all-new Manolo moment coming on, so the news that Blahnik is to receive the first ever lifetime achievement award at the 25th Footwear News Achievement Awards makes perfect sense. When he won Designer of the Year in the same ceremony in 1992, he said '“I do what I do and that’s it. It’s nice I make people happy. If I only do that in my life, it’s great, even if it is only a stupid pair of pumps.” Excellent news then, that Manolo will be recognised for his success in maintaining that exact aim- we take our Mary Janes off to you, Mr Blahnik!

Manolo looking extremely dapper (image from vogue.it)

 Never ones to pass up the opportunity to devour anything Chanel related, we are very excited about Karl Lagerfeld's forthcoming book which pays tribute to the Chanel tweed jacket. Carine Roitfeld has styled some of the world's best known women in the piece to celebrate the timeless quality which Coco captured back in 1926 (when her first tweed jacket was produced). Lagerfeld commented that "Transformation is the secret of survival, but never change."; a cryptic, seemingly nonsensical utterance which actually seems to make perfect sense when applied to this little bit of fashion history.

Saskia de Brauw in  her Chanel tweed (image from Telegraph.co.uk/ V Magazine)

After leaving British Vogue this Summer, it was unclear what exactly Robin Derrick's next move could be. Well, it seems that Glenda Bailey, Editor of US Harper's Bazaar has enlisted him to help revive the title she has edited for the past ten years. We're all aware that the publishing industry is a tough place to be right now and it seems that Harper's is at the coal face, having seen 4.1% decrease in the number of ad pages being bought over the past year. So it makes perfect sense that Derrick be drafted in from a title which is doing pretty well at defying the decline.

Robin, back when he was Vogue through and through (image from vogue.co.uk)

Just as we've got through the SS12 shows, we are reminded once again of the Resort collections as the campaigns are revealed. I completely loved Vuitton's Resort collection (which was done in collaboration with Sofia Coppola) but I do find the campaign a bit disappointing. Although it's NICE it could have been AMAZING given the strong Gatsby/ thirties pyjama influences of the collection. The confusion over what a Resort collection actually is shows too. At Chanel and Prada, the models look like they're off to a Christmas party, while at Gucci and Vuitton it's High Summer, confused much?! In general, these images don't feel quite as exciting as those we see for the main collections, but that's just the spoilt fashion brat in me speaking- we can't have it all, can we?

A thirties look for Saskia de Brauw at Chanel

Karmen Pedaru for Gucci

Arizona Muse for Louis Vuitton

Why have one purse, when you can have six? Lea Seydoux/ Prada

MANOLO BLAHNIK AT LARGE IN LIBERTY!

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

I wanted a shot of Manolo and his niece Kristina, but the great man insisted I join the photo. Who was I to say no?

Photograph by Jenny Dyson

A fun morning for a Friday. After a visit to Spanish designer Emilio de la Morena to learn more about him and his work, (will post later) I popped along to Liberty to see Manolo Blahnik who was presiding over The Heritage Suite of the building with his Autumn/Winter range. Normally we would view his new collections at his store on Old Church Street. Today we were invited to Liberty.

What was going on?

"There is a reason we are here", confided a wonderfully chic, aristocratically tall young woman who turned out to be Kristina Blahnik, the daughter of Manolo's sister Evangeline. Another Blahnik! Who knew? This can only be a fabulous thing, as anyone who knows Manolo can testify.

Turns out Geoffroy de la Bourdonnaye the charming CEO of Liberty came up to Manolo at Claridges last October to pay homage to the great shoe designer and they ended up talking shop. After a pot of English tea, it was decided - Manolo Blahnik was to open a pop-up shop in Liberty during London Fashion Week this coming September. Next thing Ed Burstell, the fashion director of Liberty got involved, and before anyone knew it Manolo Blahnik's pop-up shop was staying not a week as initially planned, but for a three and a half month run until Christmas!

Cue an explosion of creativity from Mr Blahnik who is only just recovering from a fall in snow and ice outside his Chelsea store in December. Manolo has (so far) designed three new Liberty prints. He has, he tells me, long been a fan of the Liberty print, they have been used in many a shoe interior. Manolo is also creating special products for the store, and his new collection includes several exclusive colourways, styles and fabrications that will be available only at Liberty. I have never seen Ed Burstell so excited about a collaboration. He was hopping from foot to foot with excitement when he came to view the range.

Ed Burstell with one of his favourite Manolo exclusives. "This is a shoe with two looks," said Kristina Blahnik "it's an elegant high heel and a fashion high heel." The extra piece is a Blahnik version of the shin protection worn by Polo players.

"There will be scarves, cushions, hats, notebooks, Christmas cards, shoes..." says Ed.

"I'm in trauma!" said Manolo to that, waving his hand (the one with the broken middle-finger) around in a mock one-fingered salute. "I am such an obsessive perfectionist. I will be sick with neuroses by September!"

Clearly, Manolo is loving EVERY minute of this. It shows in the collection too, which I was shown through by Kristina Blahnik, who is an architect; "I still have my own practise," she says, "however my focus is now to work with my Uncle. Structure and proportion is my thing.  Liberty is amazing again too, no?" I agree.

At this point Manolo spots a smidge of fluff on the Afghani rug and instructs someone/anyone to "get rid of it!" Luckily, the offending fluff is swiftly removed and everyone present finds this funny. So now onto my high-points of the new collection.

Most important to note is the new last. Manolo has crated a new shoe/heel shape. It is beautiful.

 

Sorry for the quality! The new curvy last is shown in  full angular explosion in Manolo's illustration in the background, but these are the real life shoes created using pleated suede in place of elastic.

The "Yeti" group. First created by Manolo for Marni a decade ago, and back by popular demand. On the right is the "Isidora" with a 5cm kitten heel. In the centre the "Tasava" 10cm high heel. In black on the left is the flat "Turisa" boot. Put them with what Karl did for Chanel, and we've nearly got a trend.  

Manolo can do elegant fashiony kitten heels better than anyone. 

 Must learn my camera settings more thoroughly. The building across the road is in focus, not the shoe. *mortified*

 

The Manolo take on Timberlands above this shot. This shot, the "Carrie" flats worn by SJP's Carrie when she married Big in SATC. I love them; they would make any girl feel like a princess.  Also the high heel versions behind. Check out the illustration of the pinks! Also the 1940s model Dovima (see the postcard photograph of her mid-shot) is the inspiration for this group of shoes.  

"I designed all this with fantasy in my mind," said Manolo. "You've got to keep the poetry alive. I don't want to lose the poetry."

Bad photography by FEAL.