Balenciaga gave “color-blocking” a whole new meaning with ultra-high loafers, oxfords and boots with heels reminiscent of a 3-D Mondrian or a stack of Legos, combining punchy citrus shades, exotic leathers, woodgrain panels and glossy solids. Just Cavalli also went architectural, anchoring its mixed-texture ready-to-wear ensembles with red and yellow ankle-cuffed heels interlaced with neutrals, building a new blueprint for linear design.
Pelts Aplenty
While PETA’s never far from Fashion Week, that hasn’t deterred designers from incorporating luxe fur treatments into both their apparel and accessories. Ralph Lauren, whose collection mixed feminine florals with masculine tailoring, turned to a variety of boots with lusciously soft, thick fuzzy trims. Lanvin’s models stalked the runway in tall boots with long fur-wrapped shafts and stiletto pumps made of exotic skins with puffs of fur surrounding the heel.
Fresh Bent
During the Spring ’10 presentations, Alexander McQueen’s armadillo heels made crowds gasp, while Christian Siriano’s talon-shaped heel silhouettes rode their own buzz all the way to an exclusive Payless collection. For fall, Proenza Schouler takes the cue, pairing its edgy prints and babydoll minidresses with uniquely sculpted python and leather tri-buckle mules and loafers in bright and basic hues. Dsquared2’s boots and shoes were also designed to stop traffic, with sleek skin-skimming uppers taken to the next level with an innovative—if unnerving—spinal tap.
