shuznews spring 09 trend review

June 9th, 2008

as spring and summer shoes are going on sale, and many over-zealous retailers are bringing in pre-fall shoes… your shuz ladies were in nyc visiting with designers and getting a sneak peek at what’s going to be on your feet next spring. the styles and colors were as varied as the designers who create them, and of course there are those worth coveting.

while we saw hundreds of styles, designers asked us to refrain from showing pictures of them online (right now)… a girl has to have something to look forward to, right? sorry but you’ll have to wait ’til next spring to get them on your feet.

COLOR COMBO: luciano padovan’s nod to neon. the orange/fuchsia/blue neon peep-toe patent will turn the heads, ladies. casadei moves from brighter hues to brilliantly luxurious shades of soft pastels. calvin klein mixes rich coral patent with tan-colored suede in a play of color and materials that garner attention.

GOING NATIVE: homage was paid to our country’s rich heritage from several designers who worked fringe into their footwear. the bettye muller fringed-flat totally rocks. born busts out whip-stitched or braided sandals. and pour la victoire offers a fun beaded moc.

MATERIAL: stay tuned for jessica bennett’s stained green leather boot. you. will. want. a. pair. robert zur’s “true glove” leather drivers feel like your most comfortable slippers. frye’s vegetable-tanned leather colors are as yummy as their new silhouettes. nine west will offer great casual vegetan-leather ankle-strap kickers. you’ll also see elastic straps worked into a few clever designs (think colin robertson from this year) and satin, satin, satin.

SHOE SHAPE: so, we’re still going to see that platform and quite frankly, we’ll have plenty of options. claudia ciuti’s triple-strap crackle metallic leather platform with ankle strap is stunning. incredible. amazing. claudio merazzi who’s always good for a tall, stilt-like creation doesn’t disappoint with his fur and swarovsky collection. celine offers a distinct collection of wedges you’ll most definitely want. and a few designers snipped their toe-shapes to offer us a squared-off version.

there is in fact much to look forward to. though the first week of june spit out 100 degree (and more) weather, fashion promises the sizzling season is just getting started.

thank you gigi! these are great shoes!

June 9th, 2008

shuzsociety “hooked” and “obsessed” members will enjoy a 40% off discount on styles found in her “sandals” and “boots” section. today through june 30th. upon check-out you’ll need to enter promo code: LOVEYOURGIGIS40. add as many pairs to your cart as you wish! you’ll turn your own heads! guaranteed.

visited today with monica favela-george of gigi favela in georgetown. she was a doll, dressed up in her own turquoise patent leather peep-toe pumps she’d paired with skinny white jeans and big, glamorous shades. today i met miss “gigi.” the little darling daughter of hers who turned heads in her precious pink dress as we walked the cobblestone sidewalks along M Street.

monica’s got something cooking. and if you don’t yet know about her, YOU WILL. her designs are at once fanciful and wearable. she’s doing what she loves (and shouldn’t we all be so lucky!) creating well-made italian shoes on her own creative terms. while her fall collection is getting ready to hit stores… the little shoe box in bethesda and antonio in new port beach, monica is offering a hot discount on her spring shoes to shuzsociety members only!

need more “gigi favela” check out shuzsociety’s designer page for “gigi favela” and our exclusive video.

Coming out from the Closet ~ A Tulsa Treasure

June 23rd, 2008

A Tulsa Treasure
Closet Close-up

Tulsa, Oklahoma. Credited as the birthplace of Route 66, the home of Western Swing music, and once dubbed the Oil Capital of the World, Tulsa has accomplished quite a lot since becoming a state a little more than 100 years ago. And this past weekend T-town paired philanthropy, footwear and friends for the 2nd annual “Wine, Women and Shoes” event.

Tamra Sheehan

Following the first night’s activities, shuzsociety met Tamra Sheehan, and friends, over dinner and a bottle of stellar wine. She’d just been quoted in a shoe article for Tulsa World, “It’s Gotta be the Shoes” (which by the way, our own Cindy Marshall was too!) With a petite frame and glowing eyes, Sheehan beamed when she referenced her private boudoir—a renovated basement in her historic Midtown home. The more we talked, the more we liked. We simply had to see.

Close-up of Luciano Padovan

The main component of Sheehan’s closet is that her things are on display. As you round the steps into her basement, you’re greeted with feathered masks, glass-front display cases filled with precisely placed jewels and bags and a comfy settee. Two shelved units behind mirrored doors hold her beloved shoes. Her favorite color: Red. Her favorite shoe (right now): her red suede knee-hi boots from Valentino. But she also displays her mirrored peep-toe pumps by Luciano Padovan, the Ballin with the studded heel, snakeskin pumps by Dolce & Gabbana and a strappy giraffe print sandal by Manolo Blahnik.

Shoes and Jewels

Stuart Weitzman leggy pumps

Sparkles on shoes revealed themselves the longer we spoke. The leggy Swarovski crystal-encrusted heels on her Stuart Weitzman’s caught our eye as did the Sergio Rossi rear-zip strappies she happily slipped into. She gravitates toward classic pumps and strappy sandals—styles she says, “I know will come back.” Her footwear choices have been deliberate. It’s not busy, nor overcrowded. “I am really good about cleaning out each season and getting rid of what I don’t wear,” she offers.

Sergio Rossi

With the space, remodeled after the children left the nest, Sheehan is able to see and use what she has. There’s no storage issues or extra boxes of shoes she may forget. The few handbags and Minaudiere’s she has are displayed like museum pieces across from the settee. Her fall items, jewelry and formal wear are also housed in her personal space, along with a Versace dress she bought the week before he was killed. Her springier things are all upstairs.

Bags and Baubles

With a corner desk, a size-appropriate flat-screen TV and extra bath, it still remains a quiet, cozy and dreamy room. And Sheehan’s favorite. Grinning she adds, “It’s the best room I’ve done in the house.” We agree. Then she laughs, “It gets the most use, more use than the kitchen does.” For this, we applaud.

Do you have what it takes to be a shoe designer?

October 21st, 2008

What do Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, and Giuseppe Zanotti have in common? They are all shoe designers who have elevated their craft of shoe making to a mesmerizing art form. Think you have what it takes to design a pair of shoes?

Get your creative juices flowing and your feet wet, so to speak, at International Shoemaking Design, which offers an intensive 2-day workshop for serious-minded footwear designers to hone your shoemaking skills, learn the anatomy of the foot and construction of a shoe. Upon completion, you’ll have made your very own mule, pump, sandal or boot style. In YOUR size, of course.

Based outside of Cleveland in Rocky River, Ohio, owner Sissy Puccio Aversa, a London-trained shoe designer/maker and certified Pedorthist, will privately walk you through an intensive workshop on what it takes to actually build a pair of shoes.

Word is, Aversa is working on her own line, where she will manufacture her collection right here in the United States. Stay tuned.