Month: June 2009

Featured Shoe: BCBG Max Azria Caldea Blush

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

If you were looking at my Flickr Color Study set you may have seen these beauties when I listed my Pink Color Study group.

One thing doing this project is doing is reminding me of some of these adorable shoes I have lingering in my closets. I need to get them out there more often. At the very least they need to be photographed!

I don’t remember exactly where online I first saw these BCBG Max Azria Caldea heels but I remember swooning over how amazing they are.

You really need to look at these images bigger because they are just so detailed. Pink, tan and dark brown sections with dark brown stitching and scalloped edges.

They are just a confection!

Plus they have an amazing heel shape.

I wore these with the pink Liz Claiborne plaid skirt and a grey tee. I was quite girly.

Greener Pastures

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

It hasn’t been that long since Isaac Mizrahi left us bereft at Target and moved on to new adventures at Liz Claiborne.

I for one was skeptical. I mean, wasn’t Liz Claiborne the brand that was known for the bad taupe purses in the 80s. Right?

In spite of that Mizrahi has moved right in and brought his frothy pink and retro girly designs to life. The elements I loved at Target are now being made with nicer materials to go with the slightly higher price point.

I’m pretty cheap about clothes but I did buy a few of his new pieces via the online store.

First up was this silk shirtdress in a watercolor floral pattern.

I love the colors and pattern so much, I got the silk and knit cardigan as well.

But what I really liked were all of the great skirts on the site. This plaid pleated skirt came in pink and the grey. I’m going to wear this a lot over the summer with a grey tee and silver heels, but can pair it with darker grey or black tights in the winter too.

But why not get the pleated skirt in pink too, since I love pink? Well, I saw this and knew there was no competition. I had to have this gingham dirndle skirt. This skirt is amazing in person. The top layer is a watercolor gingham plain on whisper thin silk. Under that is a layer of tulle and then a stiffer liner that gives the skirt a frothy full shape. I twisted and swished and twirled around in it all day. It has such a 50s-ish feel, I just want to slip on a knit top or cardigan and dance.

I’m so excited that, even though he’s gone from Target, Isaac is still out there making clothes that I can buy. I may not be able to get them as often but I hope they continue to be as fun as these.

Color Study – Pinks

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

A long time ago I started doing shoe lists of what I owned by color. But a list with out any images seemed kind of boring so I stopped. I wanted to do images of shoes by color, material, brand, style, vintage, etc., but the task was a bit daunting, frankly.

So, because I know there are a number of shoes I’ve never photographed or found images of, I thought this would be a fun project.

However, it’s still daunting.

Luckily, my shoes are mostly storted by color anyways, so that’s where I’m starting. And what better color to start with than pink!

Pink is such a happy color, and obviously I love it for shoes.

Pink total: 24

I’m taking detail shots of some especially pretty ones… and some favorites. Although they are really all my favorites, especially the pair I am wearing at the given time.

By the way, these Jimmy Choo candy pink sandals from the Cruise collection about 5+ years ago may be the beginning of my love for special shoes. They have gold glitter heels!

There are a ton of shots on Flickr in the Color Study set, and there are more to follow.

God help me when I get to black!
UPDATE: I realized I should have listed out the names/brands of these so here we go!
From front row to back row and left to right –
Row 1:
– Kate Spade Joan rose print mules
– Vintage 3-stap button mary janes
– Isaac Mizrahi Kelly driving mocs
– Colin Stuart pink and black slingbacks
– Converse Chuck Taylor high-tops
– Delman Grable silk oxfords
Row 2:
– Isaac Mizrahi Carla slides
– JCrew pink satin mary janes
– Guess Pyramid
– Christian Louboutin Bella Brown ribbon tie-up pumps
– Viktor & Rolf for H&M heart sandals
– Christian Louboutin Simple Pump in pink patent
Row 3:
– Vintage pink and white loafers
– Marc Jacobs peep-toes
– Jimmy Choo Cruise pink satin sandals with gold glitter heels
– Ashley Dearborn ROY G BIV sandals
– Chinese Laundry Dagger
– Vintage rose embellished sandals
Row 4:
– JCrew Liza in Cherry Blossom
– Colin Stuart Butterfly sandals
– Michael Antonio Rucci
– Charles David Fever
– BCBG MaxAzria Caldea
– Manolo Blahnik Tuccio fuschia

Well Shod for a Good Cause

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

If you are a fan of Louboutins, you will remember the zippery Rodita sandals that came out not so long ago. They’re all sold out most places although I’ve seen a few here and there.

What you probably didn’t see, however, were PINK ones!

Aren’t those pretty?

Well, not only are they beautiful, they are limited editions (my favorite words)… and part of raising funds for a great cause.

You may be familiar with Footcandy – an online (and offline too) store featuring a ton of great designers. Well, when When Carolyn and Perry (the owners of Footcandy and vintners as well) visited Four Seasons Tented Camp last fall they immediately fell in love with the resident adopted elephants and were looking for ways to contribute to the Camp’s charity project.

The Tented Camp forms one part of the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant foundation (GTAEF) which aims to rescue elephants off the streets of Thailand and provide them with a humane and natural environment in the jungles of the Golden Triangle.
‘Carolyn and I watched a mother elephant and her baby weaving in and out of traffic on the streets of Bangkok with their mahout begging for money so they could all eat .The Elephants were under nourished and stressed. We could not stand to see these gentle giants and their families in such poverty .We decided to help, getting them all off the street and to a camp where they would be treated with respect and love.’ Perry said.

Not satisfied with a straight forward donation, Perry decided to introduce a special Juslyn Vineyard ‘Rescue’ label in support of the Foundation.

Carolyn took her idea literally a step further to create exclusively designed shoes for her select female clientele. She approached world renowned designer Christian Louboutin to design a shoe for the cause, and as an animal lover himself, he agreed. Carolyn is proud to offer the Rodita Rescue style, exclusively available at Footcandy stores and online. Only 50 pair were made, making this an opportunity for shoe lovers to own a collector’s item.
Again, all proceeds are being donated to the GTAEF rescue mission, specifically towards the upkeep of the Butler’s adopted baby elephant Nam Chok, a five year old who has become the adoptive surrogate sister for another baby, Tong Suk. The shoes can be purchased at any Footcandy store in California or shipped worldwide.

Asian elephants played an important cultural and economic role for centuries and once provided the main workforce in the teak forests of Northern Thailand. With the cutbacks in teak foresting, elephants were no longer needed and consequently became a burden to their owners. Many elephant owners resort to taking their charges into big cities to get people to pay to touch, feed or play with their elephant.

Elephant Family (UK) and Friends of Conservation (US) registered charities have added the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation to their list of supported projects and tax deductible contributions can be submitted through these aid organizations.
I love the shoes and the color and I think this is a great cause. I’m glad that 100% of the proceeds are going towards the elephants. Typically I don’t like the “cause-related” items that are in stores because I think it is better to just give the money directly to the group or research or whatever.

For information about the elephant rescue programs in Northern Thailand or to donate funds, please visit www.elephantfamily.org and http://news.helpingelephants.org or contact John Roberts at Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle jroberts@minornet.com .