Well Shod, Well Imformed

QUAND LES BLOGUEUSES S'EN MÉLENT...POUR ANDRE*

 

image credit / Balibulle

She’s a bi-lingual version of Imelda (albeit less acerbic), the Order’s French Field General, a sexy pair of red lips and a good friend of the Despotic Queen’s, but Miss Glitzy aka Frederique now adds footwear designer to her rapidly expanding portfolio of trickery.

In the continuing trend of bloggers teaming up with retailers/designers, the mid-market French footwear label Andre has commissioned 6 high-profile French bloggers to each design a capsule collection for the brand’s S/S10 collection.

Whilst the trend of fashion bloggers designing for retailers is almost passé, Imelda praises the company’s rapid adaptation and evolution of the concept.

By engaging multiple voices with varying fan-bases, Andre is evenly dispersing any potential (financial) risk whilst maximising the positive word-of-mouth with this exciting undertaking.

Miss G debriefed the Despotic Queen on the project early this morning and reported that it’s generating a ‘big buzz’ in the City of Light – not surprising when the combined comment count (from all 6 blogs) is 1000+ and counting.

 

According to Miss G, the project was initiated last October by the blistering haute blogger Walinette (Beauty And The Geek) and involved fellow bloggers Violet (Sois Belle Et Parle), Coline (Et Pourquoi pas?), Mimnor (Sushi & Pedro), Balibulle and Miss Glitzy.

A clear indication of how far bloggers have come, Walinette reports Andre C.E.O Mr. Feijoo gave the project immediate green light status…Imelda suspects Australian C.E.O’s will take note of Feijoo’s bolshie move, wait 18 months and do the same.

Guided by Andre’s team of production managers, each blogger was given complete creative control over their designs with Miss G revealing when it came time for the bloggers to select which lasts/models they would use there was – much to Imelda’s disappointment - no eye gauging, hair yanking or pillow fighting.

My only concern, why when she knows Imelda HAS a violent aversion to flats would Miss G design a pair….WHY I ask?

*Google Translate - 'When the Blogger Meddle...For Andre'

 

 

Miss Gitzy

Violet 

 

Walinette

 

Coline

  Mimnor

THERE’S A BEAR IN WHERE?

One of the Despotic Queen’s favourite mid-market menswear brands, Jack London, has teamed up with Danish footwear brand Shoe the Bear to produce a ‘special seasonal range’ of soft-soled leather hi-tops for the Melbourne based retailer.

Of course this isn’t the kind of news that lifts the Despotic Queen’s skirts, nor would it normally rouse my nubs of tyranny to the keyboard - so why then, I hear you cry, am I reporting it?

After reading Susie Mesure’s counter-offensive (Fluff flies as fashion writers pick a cat fight with bloggers) where Robert Johnson, associate editor at the men's magazine GQ, said bloggers “don't have the critical faculties to know what's good and what's not”. Which came hot on the heels of watching Mary Scherpes video On Fashionblogs (to be featured during Berlin Fashion Week) whereby Suzy Menkes made the claim that bloggers are at risk of losing their status as independent fashion critics because PR’s are now bloggers seeding stories.

I wanted to a) post something that was ‘seeded’ to me by a PR company and b) make the observation that after dominating the casual/sneaker market for nearly 6 years the consumer’s appetite for plimsoll shoes (despite several emerging micro trends that suggest we’re heading back to a chunkier 1990’s silhouette) shows no signs of abating!

C’MON AUSSIE

The good folks from Vein Wear have just reminded the Despotic Queen that my beloved Imeldette’s have only four weeks before the Vein Wear Footwear Competition closes.

I was surprised at how few of the submissions (like only one) came from local talent…srsly bitches, bust-open your Crayola 12-pack and start scratching out some haute men’s footwear…the pride of a nation rests on your sunburnt shoulders!

 Night Boot by Chris Worfold (Australia)

 Koul Shoe by Adrian Castro (Spain)

See more submissions over on the Vein Wear blog...click HERE

STOP.BREATH.REBOOT.

It’s time to shake off the stink and get back to business.

Last week, good friend to the Palace of Despotism, blogosphere’s resident “salty sea dog” and world’s best backstage fashion photographer, Sonny Vandevelde, gave the Despotic Queen a sharp heads up about the Golden Heel Award. Scrambling over to Diane Pernet’s A Shaded View on Fashion for a looksee, I was floored.

From what I was able to ascertain, The Golden Heel Award is sponsored by Dutch footwear company Sacha Footwear and is open to ArtEZ Fashion Masters students currently studying at The Fashion Institute Arnhem (FIA).

The quality of ‘talent’ pouring out of the ArtEZ  (two year) course is unprecedented, with ArtEZ currently rivaling the much-lauded Cordwainers as THE breeding ground for the next generation of footwear superstars. ArtEZ alumni and friends to the Despot include Rosanne Bergsma, Jelske Peterson and the Divine Dutchman Maurice Van De Stouwe.

A Shaded View are reporting the winner is determined by popular vote, however, when I tracked down GHA’s webpage, I found no on-line ballot box. No drama, since I find things like democracy tiresome.

Also, according to ASVF, the shoes can be viewed at the Amsterdam Bagmuseum from November 18th till January 3rd. The designers entered are the following

Pauline van Dongen with ‘Vertigo’

Fanciscus van der Meer with ‘Anna’s Apprearance’

Oda Pausma ‘untitled shoe’

Jiska van Rossum with ‘S/HE’

Rebecca Ward with ‘Psychodiagnostik’

Janneke Verhoeven with ‘Encycloïd Enlightment’

Josine Visser with ‘Syndrom’

Nick Rosenboom with ‘Late Night Jane

I realize the number of designers doesn’t match the number of panty wetting shoes, so while you’re changing your solid unmentionables, Imelda’s going to do a bit of snooping. BRB

GUNN IT!

tom gunn, the Brisbane based luxury footwear brand, continue their meteoric rise (unaided, Imelda notes, by neither Australian luxury tombs Vogue or Harpers Bazaar) by announcing (EXCLUSIVILY to the Despotic Queen) a collaborative deal with iconic Australian retailer SABA.

The collaboration echos that of a similar retailer/footwear designer hook-up seen earlier this year between High Street retailer Sportsgirl and Tristan Blair.

The one noticeable difference, while SG purchased directly from Blair’s A/W 09 collection, Gunn and Thompson have worked directly with SABA to provide the retailer with their own exclusive colour palette and sole treatment.

The seven-piece ‘tom gunn for SABA’ collaboration features a mixture of exotic python skins and Italian nappa, kid and patent leathers.

Australian fashion soothsayer and luxury retail doyenne, Amber Long, has already given Thompson and Gunn her seal of approval

Long’s eagle eyed Buyers swooped on the duo’s S/S 09/10 collection - which coincidently is now stocked in the infamously Imelda-rised Jean Brown Emporium – and from all reports the collection has been an overwhelming success.

The tom gunn for SABA collaboration isn’t expected to hit stores until February but news of the deal couldn’t have come at a better time for Thompson and Gunn – and dare I say it…nah I won’t…there’s still a long way to go!

View tom gunn A/W 09/10 HERE

UPDATED - Thompson has confirmed (coincidently), Vogue Aus have confirmed the brands first editorial mention is set to run in Jan issue. Imelda tips her taser heels to Vogue. Now, Harpers Bazaar?