Wednesday, June 20, 2007

The triumvirate of shoes!

Manolo Blahnik (born November 27, 1942) is a Spanish fashion designer and an eponymous fashion label, one of the world's most prominent in women's shoes. His shoes, now sold in stores bearing his name around the world, range in price from about $500 to $2500. They often come with stiletto heels, which can reach as high as five and a half inches, and embellishments like beads or ribbons. The television show Sex and the City mentioned his shoes so often that it helped cement his place in pop culture, and he was said to be the "fifth star" of the show after the show's four lead actresses. His late wife, Nola, was his inspiration for making shoes.


Christian Louboutin was interested in women's fashion since he was a small child. In 1979, as he was walking alongside the streets of Paris, he noticed a billboard that instructed women tourists not to scratch the wooden floor in front of the Museum of Oceanic Art. Louboutin then decided to attend various designing schools, such as Chanel's and Saint Laurent's. Louboutin opened a boutique shop in Paris; his store became distinguished not only because of his clientele, but also because he offered free coffee to shoppers. Such other sellers as American company Neiman Marcus began to sell Louboutin's designs. Louboutin shoes also have a trademark red leather sole, making them instantly recognizable.


Dato' Jimmy Choo OBE, born Jimmy CHOW Yeang Keat, is a London-based women's luxury fashion designer best known for his exquisite hand-made shoes. Choo is a Malaysian of Hakka Chinese descent who was born in Penang in 1961 into a family of shoemakers. He made his first shoe when he was 11 years old. Choo's humble beginnings can be traced back to his workshop in Hackney, East London. His excellent craftsmanship and designs soon became noticed and he came to the verge of international fame when his creations were featured in a record eight pages in a 1988 issue of Vogue magazine. Regular patronage from Diana, Princess of Wales further boosted his image.In 1996, he co-founded Jimmy Choo Ltd with UK Vogue accessories editor Tamara Mellon. As accessories editor at Vogue UK, Tamara Yeardye Mellon sensed a real demand for stylish but wearable shoes and approached Choo to discuss a possible business venture. Tamara partnered with Choo to start the ready to wear company and sourced factories in Italy to produce the shoes on a larger scale. Consequently, plans were made to open the first Jimmy Choo stand alone boutique and to develop the wholesale business throughout the fashion capitals of the world.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

There is no doubt that the ever growing cult of celebrity in both the UK and here in the US has led to more people wanting to own designer shoes.
Hardly a week goes by without some women's magazine calling for its readers to get shoes like Kylie or like Kate Moss.

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