Swedish Hasbeens and H&M join forces: the clogs you will be wearing this summer

 

H&M, the world aclaimed retailer, is known for their sucessful collaborations with a wide range of brands. After the last collaboration with Lanvin which brought new fans, hysteria and revenue, of course, H&M decided to team up with Swedish Hasbeens, a traditional Swedish shoe brand. The result is a clog collection which will hit stores worldwide this spring.

On the 20th of April, about 150 stores from all over the world will be selling the shoe collection  designed in collaboration with Sweedish Hasbeens, consisting of 3 clog styles: sandals, wedges and peep toe slip-ons. They have been exclusively designed for H&M and they are inspired by the traditional 70s Swedish styles, using traditional crafting techniques and natural fabrics.

„I love the genuine feeling you get from Hasbeens, from the wood and the leather, and also how they take something traditional and Swedish and make it contemporary and modern. These Hasbeens for H&M fit perfectly with the ’70s bohemian look that’s so important this coming season” said Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s head of design.

In their turn, Emy Blixt, founder and designer of Swedish Hasbeens, said that:

“We have a strong belief in making better shoes for a better world. We want to make fashion more fun, creative and friendly to both the environment and people. We have loved designing for H&M! It’s a fantastic opportunity to spread the idea of Hasbeens and make these shoes available to more people around the world.”

 

The Swedish Hasbeens for H&M collection consists of 3 clog styles which will be  immediately worn by all bloggers and young ladies connected to the fashion world, turning them into essential  pieces for the season to come. 

The first style is the strappy gladiator wedges with 3 ankle buckles. The wooden sole gives this ultra-popular style a well-deserved reinvention, making it appealing for yet another season. It comes in three colours: cream and tan on a pale wooden wedge and black on a black sole.

The second style is the heeled sandals with an ankle strap, which come in cream and red on a pale wooden sole. They're the more classic, conservative style, which will appeal to all those ladies who enjoy their comfort, but also love to have fun with their summer footwear.

 

The last style is the peep toe slip-on wedge which comes in tan leather with a snake effect texture and laces on top. They're the more simple alternative of the wooden clogs, but at the same time they have two elements which individualise them (the laces and the snake effect), making them a bit more modern and fun.

In sizes raning from 36 to 40, the clogs will come at prices ranging from € 49,95 to € 59,95.

Unfortunately, the list of the stores which will be selling them is not available yet. But let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that the Unirii store in Bucharest (which will be the flagship store in Romania) will sell them too.

What do you think about the H&M collaborations? Do you like the collection? Which one's your favourite?

P.S. The H&M store in Afi Palace Cotroceni will be opened on the 25th of March at 11AM and the one in Unirii on the 26th of March at the same hour. More on this will follow, so stay tuned!

A special thanks to my dearest who translated for me the swedish press release!

photo credits: H&M, shot by Mattias Bardå

Topshop Spring/Summer 2011 Collections: the Shoes

We've seen the spring/summer 2011 lookbooks from Asos, Mango and H&M. Now it's time to see what Topshop, one of the last titans of the fast fashion brands, has prepared for the next season.

Unlike the other similar brands, Topshop decided to divide the spring collection in 4 categories, that have their own inspiration and styling guidelines. It's like 4 independent collections, only smaller. Why not integrate them all in only one collection? Maybe because it looks more professional like this and definitely because specific audience can get more attached to a smaller but more individualized collection. Also, if they would have been integrated in one collection it would have been uneven, lacking continuity and unity, which made the result at least disturbing.

Graduation is the first one. It's made of „preppy classics with an offbeat vintage inspiration”. With star-pieces like high-waist culottes, wide-leg trousers, fitted blazers, polished blouses with bows or peter pan collars, the collection comes in splashes of strong colours (tangerine, yellow, pink, green) mixed with the neutrals (camel, nude); as per the fabrics and the prints, the collection features denim, floral prints, polka dots and checkerboard knits. You can shop the collection here. 

Shoe wise, the Graduation collection features loafers on heels, t-bar patent leather flat shoes, a lot of brogues, wooden sole shoes and sandals, kitten heel pumps and some chunky heeled sandals. They all add up to the classic preppy style, with a touch of fun to it. All very suitable for a casual outfit at work, at school or places/events where you have to stick to a more rigid dress code.

Here are some of the lookbook photos, you can see all of them here:

and some shoe highlights:

The second SS11 Topshop collection is called Sweedish Summer. With a massive 70s inspiration, the collection features a lot of floral pieces, loose and flowy everything. You can see more of the collection and shop it here. 

The shoes in the collection are very casual sandals: wooden wedges, straw-braided wedges, flats sandals with metal beades and so on. The outfits are very suitable for vacations, which makes this collection like the cruise collection of Topshop for this summer.

Here are some lookbook photos, see all of them here:

 

and some shoe highlights:

New Age Constellation is the third SS11 collection from Topshop. Featuring „architectural silhouettes, sport-inspired finishes and luxe high-tech fabrics” the collection is all about a new take on minimalism, asymmetry and tailored pieces. You can see and shop it here.

The shoes in this collection are more daring and modern, suitable for a more mature and empowered woman who lives in the urban jungles rather than in dreamland meadows. Patent leather strappy sandals, platform pumps in strong colours, they all complement the powerfull woman living in the cities. These shoes would be more than suitable for cocktails, events, shows and all the agenda of a contemporary girl.

Here are some lookbook photos:

and some shoe highlights:

The last of the SS11 Topshop collections is the one named Snake Valley. This collection is dedicated to the rebel spirited „festival girl”, with influences from the gypsy bohemian trend. Fringes, tie dyes, a lot of massive jewellery, bicker jackets and lots of suede, this is what makes the collection so special. You can see and shop it here.

Compared to the other 3 collections, the shoe part is the widest so far, covering many styles, shapes and fabrics. The dominant print is, of course, snakeskin and it has been used on wedges, chunky heels, cowboy boots and ankle boots. Suede is one of the star fabrics in this collection. Used on ankle boots and combined with fringes, this fabric makes the shoe very versatile and unpretentious. This shoe collection would be perfect for everyday use, on a large scale of events and dress codes.

The lookbook photos:

and some shoe highlights:

 

What do you think about these 4 collections? Which one is your favourite?

c

photo shource: topshop.com, fashionologie.com

Debate on "shoe designer" concept / Open Letter to Anonymous reader

I received an intriguing comment today, which will be the only one of this kind I will accept. You will find the reasons in my open letter below. I decided to make this an open letter since I want to be as transparent as possible and since this triggers a more complex discussion on shoe makers, shoe designers, shoe brands of all kinds, on which I would really like to know your opinion. So, I'm expecting your comments regarding this topic, I'm really curious.

Dear Anonymous,

1. I have never ever compared Sepala/Mihaela Glavan to lel. I talked about them here because these were the shoe brands that attended the Cafepedia event. There was no comparison involved, only a review.

2. I never claimed that lel/Lelia is a shoe designer, with the innovation + originality + ground breaking ideas. I have never ever claimed that they are all those things, because they aren't. However, I do appreciate the FINISH (exact word that I used several times), the quality and their openness towards offering their customer what they ask for. If you would have read this article attentively and others related you would have noticed that I always use the phrase "custom made trend" because this is what they do and they are some of the best at this.

3. I have never ever claimed that I am a know-it-all person. However, I have a passion, some knowledge and some means that I decided to use for those interested in this matter, getting them informed and connected to their interest.

4. From my point of view, fashion is a concept, institution and entity that feeds on itself, rigurously organised and divided. There are the genius designers, those who make the rules. There are also those designers/brands who follow the trends that were set by the group of those few, adapting these trends to their own brand identity (if any). I don't consider this a theft and I know there are many who share my opinion. In fact, I would say that this is a tribute, a homage paid to the importance and tremendous value that the "gods" have. Of course there are those copycats, but those are pure fakers.
lel, Pixie Shoes, ChouChou and many more like them are not fakers/thieves, but brands that translate the trends set by the shoe gods to the majority of the audience/fashion lovers ecc. who don't afford designer pieces, who need cusmotized pieces because they are not that  bold to wear daring shoes by genius designers. Why are they to blame?

5. Papucei.ro was one of those shoe makers you despise so much, but look where this got them, after years of hard work and dedication to the industry. I really think that this is only the beginning and that some (not all, of course) of these persons will become true designers who will be founding a Romanian school (programmatic meaning) for footwear. In time, this will become a fact, but until then, we're still experimenting, using inspiration from the acknowledged designers and adapting them to our own ideas and identities.

Do you know who else started as an anonymous shoe maker? Mihaela Glavan herself. But with hard work, support from the people in the business, practice and dedication she managed to cross the line towards the few designers who really bring something new to the industry and who set the trends/rules. But the amount of originality is always  questionable because fashion is reborn from fashion and originality can very well be the fact that some past trends or those of other designers have been mixed in such a new way.

6. I would have appreciated you signing your criticism, it would have been nice directing my ideas to a person/name ecc. It's really a cowardish gesture to criticise under the protection of an anonymus user, don't you think?

7. I really hope you read my articles and find the truth in them and not turn them upsidedown so they can suit your own ideas. What I write is really straight forward and I don't think that I'm one of those infatuous bloggers who give the impression that they are the only ones who know how things work. I actually encourage my reader friends to discuss and give feedback opinions and so on. But next time I receive comments like this one here that is unsigned and is obsivously driven by unprovoked malice I will delete it as it does bring anything constructive to the topic raised by the article.

original comment from Anonymous:

"How can you compare Lel and Sepala? LEl does not design shoes - Glavan does. There is a big difference between designing (having a concept to follow, inovating by means of materials, sewing patterns, heel architecture) and taking a shoe you like, and changing some details. Search Google for the Mcqueen canvas with army print boots. Wait, i ll do it for you. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr99Hs8wFqLpgiKK6YqCRQb-ULTr4u4SHlG0GZ4-hP7qv7NGgrS0KotQ0CzFJ0Mva7b8ci8gLqkbyJxChP16M_HP7nfI5JFE-3Z__W8d5EYIV7hxz58sID44UkYVZBXq8PsG0OzZxm3gSE/s1600/Alexander-McQueen-Canvas-boots.jpg
Remove the upper part and replace the zipper with a lace, and consider the fact that she had her boot as a peep toe ankle boot first (as chouchou, before breakup). So, tell me... who designs what? FACT: Chouchou / Lel are not shoe designers. They are shoe makers, with big prices. The Steve Maddens of the world. Not the only ones in Bucharest, no worries. I saw an almost perfect copy of a very well known fur boot from Louboutin at Musette. Same season!
Sure enough, you could see a copy of the Faith boot in more then 10 big shops in RO, with prices high or low.
Designers..everyone is a designer today. Sad thing is people buy what is pretty much theft and have no problem with it. Every blogger is a fashion connaiseur, so how come no one sees IT? The design behind the romanian copy?"

What do you think, dear readers? Waiting for your opinions on this topic, so feel free to share them.

DivaHair.ro feature: 32 pieces of advice on style, smart shopping and must haves

 DivaHair.ro talked to 32 Romanian fashion bloggers about some topics that are not only actual, but also critical for our fashion environment and evolution: smart shopping, the items that make a perfect wardrobe, online shopping and Romanian street fashion as an identity.

I was delighted by the topics they raised and happily joined their project, hoping that they will be useful for as many people as possible. I really hope that the article will give you useful tips and insights which you will use to better express yourselves through your style.

You can read the article here, in Romanian only. I really apologise, my foreign friends.

What do you think about the article and, most of all, what are your pieces or advice regarding the topics raised by DivaHair.ro?

 

Divahair.ro a invitat 32 de bloggerițe de modă să vorbească despre niște subiecte foarte actuale, dar și  critice pentru moda românescă și pentru evoluția noastră în acest sens: cumpărăturile „cu cap”, componentele unei garderobe perfecte, cumpărăturile electronice/virtuale și moda străzii din România.

Am fost de-a realmente încântată de subiectele puse în discuție și m-am alăturat proiectului lor cu mare drag, sperând ca va fi folositor pentru cât mai multe persoane. Sper ca acest articol să vă ofere sfaturi utile și păreri mai avizate, dar și variate, formate în urma unui contact direct cu moda românească și toate mecanismele ei. Sper de asemenea ca aceste sfaturi să vă fie utile în conturarea stilului vostru unic prin care să vă exprimați personalitatea cât mai bine.

Puteți citi articolul aici.

Ce părere aveți despre articol și, mai ales, despre subiectele dezbătute? Care sunt sfaturile voastre?

Cafepedia and Tuxedo Confessions: (wire)less is more, the follow-up

On last Thursday, as you already know, Cafepedia invited us to one of their amazing fashion cocktails. This time it was all about Tuxedo Confessions, the online store with an amazing selection of uber-cool pieces from new designers, both Romanian and foreign, that have that special something which makes them stand out.

The concept of the event was  (wire)less is more, which means that one can get in direct contact with the designer, offering the customer/fashion lover the possibility to ask every question possibly on the pieces, the inspiration, the process of actually making the piece and any other questions one might have. Thus, a strong relationship based on trust, passion and sharing the same interests is born and the stiff customer-designer collaboration is rendered personal.

Also, the designers brought their pieces at amazing discounts, last ones of this sales seasons. I really hope you managed to attend and find those special pieces at special prices.

Shoes were represented at the (wire)less is more themed fashion cocktail by Mihaela Glavan and lel.

I have talked so much about Mihaela Glavan's shoes that you must think I'm crazy or something. Well, I am, crazy about these shoes she designs! Mihaela herself did not attend the event, but she sent a wide selection of shoes from the spring/summer 2010 and fall/winter  2010 collections from both her lines, along with some best sellers or popular shoes from previous collections. The prices were also very good, but you had to be lucky to find the shoe you liked in your size. Of course, she can always make them by order for you, but that's a different story. 

What i liked best was the fact that the shoes were nicely spread on top of  a white piano - now how cool is that? I fell in love head over heels with the dusty pink chunky heeled suede sandals, with little braids on them.

At the event I also met Lelia herself, the designer behind lel. She is an amazing person, very dedicated, smart and fun. We talked a lot about her shoes and her brand, the custom made shoes trend and many more. I really can't wait to see her again. I played a lot with her samples basket, the possibities are really infinite! My favourites were the animal print suede and the braided-pattern suede.  The shoes are even more beautiful in real life than in the photos, the finish and quality are excellent.

Expect big things from her and also the spring collection for 2011 any time now. I will keep you posted on that, of course.

I apologise for the low-quality photos, I took them with my phone this time. Professional photos will follow.

Do you like events like these? Which one is your favourite? What about lel and Mihaela Glavan?

Cafepedia and Tuxedo Confessions - (wire)less is more, the Fashion Cocktail

Cafepedia has started recently a series of fashion events, also known as fashion cocktails, meant to help built a genuine fashion community here in Bucharest. On Thursday, the 10th of February, starting 18.00, fashion lovers are all welcome to join the conceptual event the notorious cafe has prepared.

Called (wire)less is more, the event is dedicated to Tuxedo Confessions and the designers they host and support, both Romanian and foreign: George Neagu, Diana Nita, Fe[Male], Sergiu Chihaia, Alina Ene, Lana, Mihaela Glavan, Lel, the UAD Cluj graduates - Renata Rakossy, Carmen Chereches, Florina Farcas, Raluca Buzura - and the international designers - Parkwolf Jewelen, Vasel and Tahir Sultan.

The theme of the event is triggered by the fact that an online concept store is not only offering you the possibility to own a designer piece, but also gets you in direct contact with the designers that are part of the store's gallery. 

Also, there will be some previews of future collaborations (which we're all curious about, since the selection Tuxedo Confessions has is so elitist) and also some last discounts.

The event will be held at Cafepedia Romana, 2 Pictor Verona street, at the first floor.

Pretty appealing, right? What do you think about this kind of fashion events/cocktails/get togethers?

Zara Spring Summer 2011 Lookbook

Zara has just launched the SS 2011 lookbook, featuring some previews of the styles we will be seeing in the store during the following season. We've seen what H&M and Mango prepared for our feet for the new season and how they chose to do it, now let's indulge in some Zara shoe fashion.

Featuring model Stella Tennant, the lookbook presents a collection with a clear 70s inspiration, clean lines, colours highlights. Shoe wise, the 70s inspiration can't get any modern than this. The chunky heels, the colours, the cuts, everything makes this shoe collection heaven on earth for a woman/girl who wants to keep to the trends the designers set, but in a very modern and practical kind of way. In brown of red, the chunky heeled sandals come both as platforms, but also as middle height (kitten heels). 

The elasticated nude sandals featuring a stiletto heel pop up thanks to the lively touch of red and thanks to the same elastic bands a classic shoe is transformed into an urban shoe of the 00s. 

To keep things balanced, there's also the pointy toe pump in nude or sparkly star dust featuring a stiletto heel, which is the ultimate expression of femininity in a shoe. Also, the shoe collection features some strappy shoes which go perfectly with the wide-leg pants.

I've made a selection of the shoes of Zara's SS 2011 collection, if you want to see the entire collection, head to their website where you'll find all their lines (woman, trf, man, kids).

What do you think? Fancy these shoes?

photo source: www.fashionologie.com