Footwear Plus Shoesday Tuesdays: Mark+James Bows A Seductive Collection

Footwear Plus Shoesday Tuesdays: July 27, 2010 $(document).ready(function () { $('#fblikebtn').fancyZoom({"width":450, "height":150,

Footwear Webdesk
July 27, 2010

Footwear Plus Shoesday Tuesdays: July 27, 2010

Modern, sexy and affordable are words that warm a young woman’s heart, and this spring Badgley Mischka will launch a footwear brand through partner Titan Industries that encapsulates these fine traits. The Mark+James line—a moniker that borrows the designers’ first names and an offshoot of the eponymous apparel collection—marks the fashion house’s first steps into contemporary footwear designed with young sophisticates in mind.

The line is poised to garner the attention of a younger customer who wants to wear a Badgley Mischka shoe but doesn’t necessarily want to spend hundreds of dollars. “The styles in the Mark+James collection are flirty, sexy and fun, and are perfect for today’s young ladies,” says Mark Badgley. Retail prices for the new collection will range from $125 to $250. The success of Mark+James apparel, which has been largely attributed to the designers’ price-conscious reinterpretations of Badgley Mischka’s haute looks, solidified the decision to add shoes to the mix and develop an opportunity for the label to develop into a full lifestyle brand.

The initial collection offers 35 styles that reflect Badgley Mischka’s love for old Hollywood glamour. Luxurious brown vachettas, nude baby calf and tan nubuck play a major role. Dashes of metallics, patent leathers and exotic bright skins add a playful mood. Standout silhouettes include embellished flats, braided wedges and flirty stilettos. In addition to Badgley Mischka boutiques, the shoes will be distributed nationwide via major department stores such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s.

Blue suede, a footwear fashion Elvis Presley made famous, is softened for spring, inspiring runway looks and feminine sandal silhouettes. Lush folds of blue suede lend a romantic air similar to the ethereal dresses found on Cynthia Rowley’s catwalk, while revealing cut-outs mirroring Zac Posen’s haute look embrace the material’s Rock & Roll roots.