Manolo says, these shoes, the aptly named Felicia from the Kate Spade, have made the Manolo happy with their cheerful colors and shiny crystal adornments. What greater praise can be given than this? For as St. Augustine has said, “Felicity, is certainly more valuable than the kingdom.”
Manolo says, it is Monday and you are back again at your desk working away, while outside the spring has riotously sprung.
Suddenly, and unaccountably, you long to be out in the country, riding horses with tall, blond, very WASPy men in rugby shirts, which is exceedingly odd, as you have not ridden horses since the summer you were fifteen, when the only thing on your mind was ponies, ponies, ponies! (At home, somewhere in your parents attic, there are still five cardboard boxes filled with nothing but Breyer models and the collected works of the Pullein-Thompson sisters.)
Then, in September of that year, you discovered boys.
And so, to be now suddenly thinking of riding horses with the blond WASPs can mean only one thing, you passed the Ralph Lauren advertisement at the bus stop on your way to work.
Look! Here is the Velma from Ralph Lauren Collection, the horsey but sexy high-heeled sandal.
Manolo says, here is the best of the week from the Manolosphere.
Porque sólo Anna Wintour es capaz de movilizar a tanta gente, entre diosas y lagartonas, animales y caballeros, en un mismo lugar y a una misma hora con la sola finalidad de vivir la moda por una noche completa.
I’m sure that modern science, once it has sent a middle-aged man to Jupiter supplied with pills ensuring readiness for all the interplanetary nookie he can, ahem, stand, that the fine doctors and scientists will turn their heads to creating a film that is actually glamorous at a molecular or even sub-atomic level.
Primero les muestro una selección que en su día hice buscando por la red del calzado “it” del momento, yo personalmente me quedo con la versión romana de G. Zanotti.
When served fresh, however, boiled with ham hock as Mr. Henry remembers them, they taste creamy, mildly nutty, and divinely sweet. Mr. Henry’s favorite boyhood vegetable, one day about 45 years ago they simply disappeared from the market.
Mmm, Francesca loves a good sale at Nordstrom.
It wasn’t just a chance to gawk at pretty cakes and snark on wedding gowns and decide how I would have done things differently.
It’s a shame that he’s largely been forgotten, even though he’s one of the most intriguing sports figures in American history.
Single ladies, MSN said, should eat their ice cream and have a cat while they still can. Now I found out, compliments of CNN, that married lads better learn to like skulking about in basements and garages.
La bocanada de aire fresco se recibe como un golpe de oxígeno a mitad de la asfixia, los estilos individuales se separan como la tierra que se agrieta para dividir los continentes.
It’s only May and already the always hotly-contested Mother of the Year award is reaching temperatures approaching that of the heart of the sun.
At that age, it is downright adorable to go grocery shopping wearing an orange striped shirt, red shorts, and a superman cape.
The nice lady bodyguard is just protecting Justin from his fans
Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.
Dear Manolo,
Summer is arriving soon and I’m eager to get me some new sandals. I want something super fun and flirty. Please help.
Jill
Manolo says, as the old medieval song goes, “Sumer is icumen in, lhude sing cuccu!” which may perhaps be best translated as, “Summer is a coming in, sing the cuckoo crazy loud song,” to be traditionally accompanied by the frenzied naked dancings of joy in the nearest meadow. (And to be later followed by the close inspection for hidden lyme-disease bearing ticks.)
Yes, perhaps the Manolo’s interpretation of the 13th Century Middle English lyric is imprecise, but the sentiments expressed in his version are exact, as who could not possibly be filled with joy at the arrival of summer after the long slushy dark winter of cold despair.
Summer is here! You are happy, and your toes, which were confined in the stout boots of unloveliness, now wish to run riot in the warm open air.
Wonderfully, this season you can reward your long-suffering toes with the beautiful and festive adornment they deserve, for the bejeweled thong sandals are very much of the moment.
Here is the Frey from Betsey Johnson, the beautiful pink sandal with the fancy embellishment.
Manolo says, the Manolo’s indispensable internet friend Lesley of the Fashion Tribes has posted her thoughts on the most intriguing panel discussion at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. Here is the excerpt.
In his opinion, since no one in the audience - comprised mostly of students - was dressed in a way that remotely resembled a fashion editorial, magazines were obviously out-of-touch and irrelevant. Galanos heartily concurred, and according to his extremely narrow-minded and dated definition of what can be considered “fashion,” anything fantastic but unwearable that walks down a runway is to be considered an exercise in self-discovery rather than fashion. Michael Fink noted that from his perspective as a retailer, he needs to focus on what sells. Sadly, there were neither actual women nor members of the press invited to participate, despite being the market in question and the apparent cause of the demise of modern fashion.
The fact is, in this age of too many trends, designers, and choices, the fashion press is the very reason why fashion remains vibrant and interesting to women.
Editors and fashion writers address this overload of information by sifting, editing, and curating what’s worth putting in your closet. […]
In addition, “unwearable” clothing and editorial spreads feed into the fantasy element of fashion: yes, it’s a business, but it’s one founded upon creativity, both of the designer, and of the wearer as a means of their self expression. “Crazy” clothes fuel people’s imagination, spark ideas, and, ultimately, help keep fashion interesting, aspirational, and in demand.
This point is exactly correct, that yes, much of that which is sent down the runway is unwearable by anyone other than the 14-year-old Belorussian anorexics, but the process of presenting such fantasy clothes does much to shape and reshape our perceptions of what is beautiful.
Query: Are the designers out of touch because they present clothing that cannot be worn by ordinary women?
Answer: In truth this question cannot be answered without specific context; without making reference to both the specific designer and the specific runway show. And even then out-of-touchness is not absolute; there are degrees, and thus the most obtuse show usually contains elements which are worthy of our attention, just as the most mundane may miss that quality which makes it relevant to the current cultural moment.
Query: Are the fashion magazines out of touch because they feature clothing that cannot be worn by ordinary women?
Answer: No. The fashion magazines have the dual mandate, to please readers and to please advertisers. And while there is some tension between these two goals, the Manolo suspects that this tension is less than many peoples imagine.
Query: Why do fashion magazine show us gangly, Ukrainian middle-schoolers in Dior couture?
Query: Why do car magazines spend enormous amounts of time reporting on test drives and specifications of exceedingly expensive and exotic super cars?
Answer: For the same reason, because we are entertained and motivated by such images. And because we aspire to have beautiful things (clothes, cars, homes, art) that reflect what we perceive as our inner persons. The magazines do not create this desire–as it is inherent in all of us–instead they merely seek to shape and direct our desires towards that which its editors value and advertisers wish us to acquire.
Query: Is the Manolo out of touch because he asks his readers to admire beautiful but perhaps unwearable shoes?
Answer: No. The goal of the Manolo at his humble shoe blog is to entertain and to educate, to share with his readers that which the Manolo loves the most, beautiful shoes.
Manolo asked, whose shoes?
Manolo answers, it is the Janice Dickinson!
Congratulations to the Manolo’s internet friend Paula in Ohio who was the first to correctly guess this week’s cuckoo nutty celebrity.
Manolo says, here is the amusing article about the Manolo’s shoe designing friend Beverly Feldman.
Beverly Feldman is many things. Internationally renowned shoe designer. Dog lover. World traveler. The one thing she’s not?
“A person of moderation,” she says with a sly giggle.
And she wouldn’t have it any other way. This is a woman who believes diamonds should be worn during the day.
Women over 50 should be single and loving it. And that, “if you’re not born attractive, God, make yourself attractive.”
At 5 feet 4 inches, she’s petite in stature but big on opinions. She’s fabulous with a capital “F.” We found her to be nothing but delightfully fun and her bravado extraordinarily refreshing.
Although she’s not on par with Manolo or Louboutin in terms of name recognition - or pricing - Feldman has found other ways to connect with her audience. Can you imagine Mr. Blahnik writing a blog?
That question made the humble Manolo the shoe blogger laugh out loud.
Didn’t think so; but Feldman does. Her entries, available through her Web site, www.beverlyfeldmanshoes.com, give you insight into her whirlwind world.
Feldman’s designs have adorned the feet of women for 30 years.
When the now 61-year-old fashionista was starting out, she attached the tagline “Too much is not enough.” It’s a philosophy Feldman adheres to in all facets of life.
And this is exactly what the Manolo appreciates about the Beverly Feldman shoes, this spirit of exuberant excess.
Look here is the Silvanna, the gloriously bejeweled flat sandal from the Divine Miss Beverly.
