Manolo’s Shoe Blog

Manolos says, go wish the Never teh Bride the happy birthday!

Manolo says, this simple, understated, round-toed pump from the Anne Klein it is wonderfully feminine. It would look good with the atumnal tweeds.

Manolo says, apparently the Katie she has reacquainted the Bette Midler with the goose.

Manolo says, the Sunday Times of the London they have the article about our muse the Miuccia Prada, published under the title In Praise of Modesty. Here is the excerpt.

If there is a fashion pioneer living today, it is Miuccia Prada. Her vision of the modern woman totally changed our attitude to sex and how we dress it up. She is fashion’s great provocateur, and when she sends models down the catwalk wearing sheer blouses buttoned severely to the neck, or black capes worn over beige shirts, or with belts pulled tightly round cardigans and socks up to the knees, you wonder, is her interest in the clothes at all, or in the opportunity to play intellectualised sexual games? Above all, how has she managed to take us all along her own special path?

When I put this to her, it’s obvious that she is not entirely sure of the answers herself. After all, she came into fashion through the back door, with no training and, initially at least, no great interest in the business. She had always had an abiding curiosity about appearance and what it says about us, though.

“I realise how powerful and important clothes are, especially for women,” she says. “They have to be useful for your life, of course, but they must also express your individual sentiment.” That Prada accepts that all fashion is role-play is what makes her such a force. She understands that the job of the truly ground-breaking designer is to decide on the roles, dress them and then present them in such a way that people all over the world want to join the cast.

Prada herself makes an unlikely éminence grise. She is neither dowdy, nor overwhelmingly chic. In fact, she looks entirely normal. Her figure is that of a woman in her fifties. Her hair is cut like most other women’s hair. She rarely wears make-up. Contrast her with another Italian icon, Donatella Versace, and you realise that she is a fashion outsider. Certainly, she avoids socialising with most other designers and runs a mile from social events. As she said to me, years ago: “I am a wife and a mother” — she has two teenage boys — “and I have many more interests than fashion. Fashion is just my job.”

But today she has amended her tune: “I’ve become impatient when people claim they don’t care about clothes. They still dress every morning, and if they are going to reject fashion, they still need clothes to show it. Style rebellion is still a form of self-expression.”

Indeed, as the Miuccia notes, claiming to not care about the clothes, to not be concerned about what one wears, is the paradox, for the clothes worn by one who claims not to care make as much the statement as those worn by one who dresses with purpose.

These inescapable facts obtain: that clothes are always necessary, and that others they will always judge us by them. These are the reasons why the Manolo he would have you dress with the purpose, to consider carefully what you would wear, and to think about the effect your clothes, and how you wear, them will have on others.

Of the course, this does not mean that you must dress to please others, nor that you should follow the lowing herd, but rather that you should be conscious of the image you are projecting.

For the example, if you wish to project the image of carefree disdain for the high fashion, be aware that your dirty t-shirt of the Oakland Raiders, torn sweat pants, and flip-flops may not be conveying that exact message, may in the stead be saying to the by passer, “Cross to the other side of the street, lest this person’s disdain for personal hygiene and grooming infect you with the parasites.”

Manolo says, the fashion, it is not the nuclear rocket brain surgery.

There are the simple rules for dressing that can be used by anyone to maximize the assests and diminish the faults, and thus project the worthy image. Likewise, there are the ways and reasons to deviate from these rules that will thus project the pleasing counter image. But the central necessity for properly using, and sometimes ignoring, the rules of the fashion and the clothing is to be thoughtful, to consider your choices carefully, and to be aware that you are always, always, always projecting the image, even when you think you are not.

P.S. Speaking of our muse the Miuccia, the Manolo he has updated his humble Prada Blog. It has the new look! It is improved!

Manolo says, here is this week’s list of the medias being consumed by the Manolo.

Reading…

Watching…

Reading…

Listening to…

What is there to say, but that the Manolo he was indeed saddened by the news of the death of the Shirley Horn, who had the singular voice, the singular talent.

Manolo says, the horror that is the Moscow fashion week, it continues…

One of the rules of the Manolo, it is no designing the clothes while chugging the vodka.

Manolo says, the peoples at the buyers Bergdorf Goodman, they have not gotten the message, that the fashion mania for the poncho it is indeed over.

Behold! The $3,000 ugly fringed poncho!

P.S. Many thanks to the Manolo’s internet friend the Kristin for the link.

Manolo says, it is the fashion week in Moscow, and if those words they do not strike the terror into your heart, perhaps these pictures of what the stylish czarinas will be wearing will.

Thigh-High Leggings and Attack of the Yarn Monster Sweaters.

Aunt Fanny’s Tentacled Duvet Cover Corset Coats.

Scrap Fabric Halter Dress with Unicorn Headpiece

Manolo says, it is not the secret that the Manolo likes the Gotham City Online for the boot shopping. But, shopping at the Gotham City it is the sort of shopping that requires the diligence and perseverance.

For the example, this handsome, low-heel suede boot by the Gucci, it is on the sale at the Gotham City, but, sadly, it is only available in the sizes the five and the half, and the six.

And so, because you are not the small footed girl, you must now go back to the board of drawing and look for the next boot, perhaps again the equestriany boot with the low-heels, because they are this season in the style.

Searching…searching.

Look here is another of the handsome boots!

This one it is from the Ralph Lauren. It is the good-looking equestrian style boot with the twist, which it is good because you do not want the equestrian boot that makes you look like the jockey of the lawn. Even the better it is almost 50% off of the normal price.

But, ayyyy! Curses, again! It is available only in the size six. Your foot it is not the size six!

And so you search the boots again.

Finally, you find this boot from the Cole Haan. It is the very nice boot, stylish, quasi-motorcyclish, quasi-equestrianish, nearly 50% off of the regular price, and Dios Mio! it is available in all of the sizes from the five to the ten! At the last, your search it is completed!

Manolo says, the Gotham City Online, it is the good place to look for the boots, if you are prepared to really look.