The Shoe Dictionary: romanian shoe designers

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duminică, 13 martie 2011

Papucei.ro presents the Spring/Summer 2011 Collection - "Look Delicious"

After seeing the fast-fashion brands SS11 shoe collections and as anticipated last week, we're looking now at Romanian designers' collections for this spring.

Next up is Papucei, the Romanian brand started back in 2006 by Angela Vasiliu, who was part of the Romanian delegation at MB Berlin Fashion Week, should the name ring a bell.

The shoes for this season designed by Angela are all about comfort and flexibility, whether we're talking about flats, wedges and even high heels. The collection is built around flats, most of them as ballerinas and different versions of them. The collection features a lot of sandals too, designed with T-bars and intricate plaiting.

"There's no doubt that the styling of the new collection has been inspired by the brand's slogan: "Look Delicious" or, on the contrary, it looks like the collection itself was the one to inspire this logo. What is definitely certain is that the colours recommended by Papucei will easily make you think of a cookies display." said Angela Vasiliu, the designer behind Papucei.ro

Therefore, a great plus is the colour range which makes the shoes resemble of candies: lively colours (mostly fluo shades) in patent leather to emphasize their power, dusty shades in suede to bring our the delicacy and romantic nature and metallic shades in classic leather to let the colour lead the way in the shoe simphony.

Apart from the flats, the collection brings a fair amount of high heels too. Settling to the international trend that has been continued since last spring/summer season, the heels are wooden soled shoes, otherwise known as clogs. The twist that one would expect is actually quite amazing: the fabrics and the colours are so romantically blend together that the rigidness fades away.

The shapes and the techniques used to put together the fabric translates into some bold shoes, with a lot of attitude. They would make great party wear, if you're not convinced of wearing them on a daily basis. The little fabric folds and bows sweeten the bold shoes and remind us that we're still women, no matter how empowered we (think we) are.

The lookbook was shot by Codrin Baleanu, with Chotronette dresses, Luciana Sasu did the make-up and Amihalachioaiei Georgiana was the hair stylist.

You can see the entire collection and the prices here. The shoes can be bought either on their online store, in their showroom in Iasi ( 67 Tatarasi str.) or in partner stores (Romanian Designers Gallery in Cocor Store).

What do you think about this collection? Which one is your favourite?

luni, 7 martie 2011

Sepala by Mihaela Glavan Spring/Summer 2011 Collection

Spring is almost here and most of the Romanian shoe designers are almost done preparing the lookbooks for the Spring/Summer 2011 collections that will hit stores soon. First up, as usual, is Mihaela Glavan with the lookbook for her Sepala line.

First of all, the new collection is minimalistic. The intense creativity that she usually experiments in her Mihaela Glavan line, for example in the SS 2010 Mihaela Glavan collection, is left aside in favour of the clean lines.

The SS11 collection is designed around the classic pump shape, re-interpreted in a variety of heights, colours and fabrics. There are some other shapes - like ankle boots, ballerina flats and summer boots - but the star of the collection is definitely the pump.

This spring, Sepala is all about lively colours: leek-green, purple, dusty rose, mustard, yellow and red. Needless to say how perfect they are for your outfits after the long winter and the heavy shoes you've been wearing. These colours might just work miracles for your state of mind too - I guess you already know the benefits of colour therapy. To balance the colourful shoes, a fair part of the collection comes in neutral classical colours - black and nude. Therefore, there's an option for everyone!

What Mihaela has done for this Sepala collection - and it's a premiere! - is the fact that she quit using the regular 8-9 cm classic pump and chose the limits instead. Determined by the general trends for this season's footwear, the collection features both kitten heels and platform pumps. But don't you think that these are just some kitten heels and just some platforms. The shoes keep Mihaela's originality and signature style: there's some PVC inserts, some fabric (de)construction within the structure of the shoe, some special stitches, all of which transform the basic shoe.

The kitten heeled pumps come with a rather chunky heel, so there're perfect for all-day wear, work wear and any "wear" that means having them on your feet for an impressive amount of time.

As I already anticipated it, the collection features some cute ballerina flats too, which come in pastel suede and are as delicate as can be:

To complete the collection, there's the boots which come in several lengths and make good party footwear. Also, they're useful on those rainy days that we've been having since the weather turned so unpredictable. The detailing on each of them is amazing: colourful collar pads, strips of fabric beautifully sewn together, the deconstructive details.

The Sepala SS11 collection is available starting this week within the following locations: the store in 9 Benjamin Franklin Street, the Romanian Designers Gallery in Cocor Store and the Irina Schrotter store in Baneasa Shopping City.

All in all, the collection is a great mix of shapes and colours, which you can play with to liven up your wardrobe, bringing it originality. Still, you wouldn't expect to see tall boots in a Spring/Summer collection and be missing sandals at the same time, would you? Well, since footwear fashion got so permissive and seasonless we can afford to experiment and wear any kind of shoe we please, depending on our style and mood. Also, since everybody is travelling so much and changing a lot of countries and continents, weather is no longer determining what you wear. You have to be ready at all times for changing weather, therefore the seasonal collections as we knew them are changing. But is it for the better? What do you think?

What do you think about the collection? Which one is your favourite?

vineri, 18 februarie 2011

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.

sâmbătă, 12 februarie 2011

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?

sâmbătă, 29 ianuarie 2011

Berlin Fashion Week: Mihaela Glavan official photos

You know we covered last week's Romanian shows at MB Berlin Fashion Week. I've just received the official press release and some new official photos that I want to share with you.

It's really interesting to see what the designer had to say about the shoes she sent on the German catwalk. According to Mihaela Glavan's point of view, the collection is "a cognitive take on equilibrium as a state of mind, as one that is inside every person.

The static-dinamic melange reflects the complexity and multitude of feelings. The static details can be found in the shapes and the very well defined and graphic cuts, in the structural interpretations of the leather, as well as in the cut outs and the shoes' lines. The dinamism illusion is very well created by the repetition of the pieces and deconstruction."

Some pretty technical terms, but the designer's insight is very much needed and appreciated. As well as these close ups:

I'm very happy to know that the designer received a lot of attention from the media and buyers when she participated throughout the fashion week at Premium Messe, a fashion fair attended among others by Hugo, Guess and A.F. Vandervorst.

Your thoughts on Mihaela's explanation? Do you like the new photos?

luni, 17 ianuarie 2011

Focus on: LEL

I'm very skeptical nowadays when it comes to Romanian shoe designers and brands because of the custom made boutiques that are so popular. It's really a natural reaction to such a boom in this area that we've been experiencing in the past years. However, this doesn't mean that I'm not open to new commers, to new ideas, new perspectives. Some of them are really worthy and their work is very powerful and meaningful.

LEL, the brand Eugenia Panescu has launched in autumn 2010, is a project the designer felt she needed to create after a collaboration with a local brand. The name comes from the birth name Eugenia was given, making this project even more personal.

The first collection, for fall winter 2010/2011 is called Equillibrium and consists of 7 types of shoes. The collection comes in a couple of dominant colours - brown, nude and pastels - with spalshes of neon colours or animal prints. Metallic textured leather is used for some of the shoes, giving them a futuristic Barbarella-like look.

As for the heights, you can find in this collection both flat shoes - oxfords or over the knees boots - or platforms, like the futuristic ankle boots.

The shoes can be customized to every customer's preferences, using any kind of leather or colours, as required. This is what sells at this point, so pretty much every shoe designer has to offer this possibility.

Lel shoes can be bought either on their online shop or exclusively at iHeart store in 76 Dacia Bvd (at the basement). The online shop offers international shipping, so all of you dear friends from outside Romania can benefit of this collection too.

Do you like LEL shoes? Which one is your favourite?

miercuri, 22 decembrie 2010

Festive footwear: what to wear at those holidays parties

You're probably one of the many women/girls who can't decide what shoes to wear at the parties you about to attend. Don't worry, it happens to all of us! I have prepared a collection of things you should consider when deciding what shoes to wear. Consider them more as guidelines than rules.

The key is to find the shoe that goes with the dress, with the type of party you're attending and with the message you want to deliver. This is up to you, of course, because no one can find the magic solution for all. But I can tell you how I decide what shoes to wear on holiday parties.

Sometimes I make the outfit starting from the shoes, because lets say I bought a gorgeous new pair and this would be the perfect opportunity to wear them. But usually it doesn't happen like that. Usually you buy a new dress and you're driving yourself crazy picking the shoes. Let's face it, it's difficult finding a pair that makes a statement, but also complement your dress and be appropriate for a get together with friends and family or work colleagues. ALL at the same time.

I love very high heels. But since I don't find them appropriate for work (where I spend most of my time) I can't really enjoy this pleasure of mine. Therefore, at every party I tend to wear the highest pair I own, or buy the highest pair possible. Another important factor is the fact that they have to be somehow out of the ordinary: studs, electric colours, special fabric, bows, glitter, a very special cut or a very special heel. You get the idea: something that makes them pop out of the crowd of black shiny shoes. This means of course that I would wear a rather simple dress, because you can't have both of them screaming "look at me!", it would be too much.

Also, with a holiday party I like to experiment meaning that I have the tendancy to try something new, something I wouldn't wear regularly: animal print, glitter, very strappy sandals, shoes with lots of flowers and bows ecc. It's all about pushing my limits. But, there are times when I go for classy shoes: velvet as fabric, a little bit of glitter here and there and so on. It all depends on where and with who I go to.

This year I have an obsession with red suede platform shoes. They never go out of style, they're classy but daring at the same time and you can pair them with many styles of dresses. So my dilemma is solved!

Now, I thought of showing you some shoes that I find suitable for these events. I really hope they will be useful for you, helping you decide what's best for your feet this year. For today's post I have chosen only Romanian designer shoes. So here we go: