dolce and Gabbana Window Display - April

Ahhhh Dolce & Gabbana's love for bella Sicilia. I don't blame them folks. Bella Sicilia, much like the rest of the many Italian cultures is a rich tapestry of lace, wooden straw chairs and freaking awesome desserts.

Cassata, a bag and lemons - smells like Sicily

Midnight Blue Lucid Shoe

Midnight blue lucid shoes.  Sounds like a song, ping pong dong?  Errr Tra la la la la, la la?

I'm a sucker for a loafer, yeah a shiny mysterious loaferino, with tassles.  Cobalt tassles of the finest leather crafted with love.  Italian love, splattered with sugo, not sauce.  Sauce is for shit soggy french fries or how normal people call them 'chips'.  It's daringly so charming, it's a Cary Grant shoe better yet a Vittorio De Sica without socks.   Have you noticed how the (well, at least the Milanese youth) have been wearing loafers without socks, doesn't it stink up?  Would there be discoloured sweat stains inside?  And when you kick em' off for the day, does the GF or BF throw you out for stink feet and ruining a beautiful pair?  Hells yeah you bastard you just ruined a nice pair of shoes!  I know it's cool to go without the sock  so maybe wear a masculine sockette with?  Do they make masculine sockettes?  Would the rather masculine man bother to wear it? Afterall it is just a very small nylon stocking.  It'd be like wearing tights underneath pants, long johns (attire, not the donut).  No one would see it.  

B'oh?  Don't ask.

Slightly drooling for man shoe and man who wears it without stink feet.

Deep Red

Deep red (not the horror film by Dario Argento although wearing a 12cm heel all day...), an elegant luxury with half a golden heel and gold lining.  Delicate pattern and sophisticated curves.  For real collectors of shoe beauty and craftmanship.

  

While drinking a coffee and eating cake made from rice flour at a hip little joint just off Corso Buenos Aires the charming and chatty proprieter eagar to talk about the future of the Italian accessory industry, assured me of the emergence of high craft manufacture (the re-birth of the artisan).  Going back to traditions of high quality, lower production and calling upon the older generation to pass on knowledge that nearly has been forgotten.  Usually tempted to take the advice of the taxi driver or hairdresser as gospel seeing as though these folks could take charge of any dire situation, economics, world crisis, how to make the best Ragu etc.  I sat there and listened to his philosphies (also cornered and not able to hide or politely excuse myself) it immediately took me back to what I call the golden era of Italian fashion and music the mid 1950s-60s and 70s (no  I did not time travel back there, I can't prove my theory, I do not own a magical crystal).  What a wonderful renaissance that would be, new thoughts, new processes, having an open mind, keeping alive tradition, saying let's try to make that crazy design instead of no it can't be done and I can't be bothered trying to figure it out.  Sounds rather bitterly optimistic...And all that for one pair of red velvet pumps.    

I propose a toast, to The Future! 

Pink Fur Trim Booties

Boots with a pink fur trim...purrrrrrrrr!   I want to lick these booties...Santa's (Father Christmas', Babbo Natale, good old St. Nick's etc etc) elves would wear these if they lived in Milan or Russia.  My guess is they need the heel for the height.  Nowadays the elves aren't so preoccupied with red and green, i mean that's soooo 1983.  Today's fashion conscious elves need a bit more glamour in their life.  Working all year round in freezing conditions isn't an ideal way to spend one's life especially that of a dollar a month factory (assumed!). 

Geometric Muchacha

To be a Muchacha you need ChaCha heels.  The Heel you are about to see is a geometric muchacha one with matching clutch.  Sparkly and shiny my favourite type.  One can imagine a sexy mexicana babe or a hot latina Queen in tight shiny skinny high waisted cigarette pants, the type that needs to be stitched onto you.  Big dark Farrah Fawcett hair from the 70s and an off the shoulder boulder holder (extra tight) top to match (and to hold a pair in place).  Red lips and chacha dancing needed to truly pull off the look.  It's a sort of space age 'Grease' look going on.  I recommend dancing in your bedroom to the song attached DOWN BELOWWWWWWWWW. 

VALENTINO! Shoes! Part Two

Hello my pretties...

Butterfly pumps

Butterfly ankle cuff...cute, no?

VALENTINO! Part One

Drool worthy, sexy, elegant, extreme hotness.  Eat hearty!   

Valentino your excellence towards style is a dripping Porchetta, succulent and tender, fit for the freshest Panini, and then downed with the finest Frascati.  You are the Matriciana of fashion dishes...You just can't leave Rome without eating the above mentioned just like you can't say you love fashion without respecting the elegance and beauty of Valentino design.

Maybe it's the name but there was even a beauty with Rudolph Valentino, slick, sauve, handsome a real elegance about him and even a tasty extragance...Watch him as he graces the dance floor with a saucy Tango...Racy for 1921.

Moth like pumps

They flutter, don't they?

Black boots

Black boots for super strong women, don't step on them otherwise you just might get stiletto stepped on back or even boot slapped!  Boots symbolize for a gal, one who is grounded, reliable, fearless and powerful.  'These boots were made for walking' just ain't a classic Nancy Sinatra tune.  It's a tune for a gal on the go, a gal with a mission and when she earns the right she will walk all over you...but only if you deserve it!

New York for Milan

Piping like a marshmellow

As one gets a little older and a little more wise and old, one becomes all gooey inside like a delicious marshmellow that's just been roasted on the camp fire.  All charred, burnt, on fire and a little bitter on the sides but oh so sugary, sweet and satisfied on the inside.  Piping, it does it to me everytime. I melt when I see it poking out of the leather upper and when it's in contrast colour oh the turkish delight inside of me jumps for joy (especially if it's covered in chocolate like Fry's).  It take's a pair of hands, love and time to it right!

Red Booties

I like these Red Booties, they have a real cobbler feel to them, dare I say Robin Hood?  The skill of handcraft artisan is a dying art.  Such a shame but it is so time consuming and expensive.   The coolest thing was that this lassie was dressed in a very 'art/drama teacher' 1980s black  layering dramatic attire and then POW! Red Shoes!

Loafers

Amorous goats

Amorous goats should wear butterfly neck ties.  I know I would!  What happened to the days of dapper, good breeding and courtship.  Why I do think like an old crotchy hack?  What happened to birds cooing instead of crowing or clawing as if they are pecking at the last remains of a defeated carcass.  You would think with the revival of the retro and vintage scene one would also adopt at least one or two of the ideals in a positive and well adjusted manner.  No!  I still have to fight for a seat on the bus...sure I believe in equality but don't forget that birds are the ones who  carry an unborn spawn for 9 months.  The least you can do is open the door...Bah!

people