View from the Wedges

Columnist Sanam Peshimam rants about Blood, Sweat and Shoes on the London Underground...

Yet another shitty day, and yet another shitty commute. I’m jammed up next to what Feels like seven million people on the same train back home after a tedious day at work. Someone sneezes, everyone shuffles and a woman squarely steps on my toe. She raises her eyebrows to apologize; I forgive her with a subtle nod of the head. No words are exchanged, that would be blasphemy! We are on the London Underground after all. Lon­doners are notoriously straitlaced about such matters you see. Nobody talks to anybody on the tube except for narcissists: who insist on parlaying their woes at loud volume, maniacs: of whom there are several, or tour­ists, who can and usually do fit under both categories. Forget speech, even looking at another individual for more than the mandatory three seconds for the London once-over is considered passive aggressive.

In such situations I often find myself wondering where to place my eyes safely during the hour long ride home. I avoid advertisements, since I’m on a detox from subliminal spending; the tube upholstery is dull as dishwater, and as for other individuals in the compartment: shaky ground I tell thee! Where can one look that is not a direct provocation? The face is a no-go area, as previously stated, and after finding myself mistakenly staring at an el­derly gentleman’s crotch for much longer than necessary, I’ve stopped looking anywhere short of the neck and above the knee. That people-watching on the tube is one of my favourite activities all has to do with the one area I have decided is definitely OK to examine for as long as I wish.

Shoes! Oh the hundreds of pairs of shoes every Londoner subconsciously looks at every single day...When I realised I was always staring at people’s feet in the carriage, I began to really look. Shoes can tell you millions of whispered stories if you’re attentive. Indie converses, practical loafers, tie-up Gucci brogues, falling apart ballerina flats, impractical spindly stilettos they all reveal more about that person sharing your oxygen space than the three second look in their eyes. I’ve made a hobby out of examining people’s shoes on my ride home and trying to figure out what makes them tick. You’ll discover a whole new world playing this game of “if the shoe fits...” But be warned! As a seasoned shoe-watcher, I have developed many prejudices. Crocs, Uggs or any form of furry/plastic footwear immediately relegates the wearer to idiot status. Talk about judging a book by its shoes? Perhaps, but sometimes if you look carefully enough, the shoes tell you things much more interesting than this hour’s copy of The London Paper.

Excerpts from the Magazine 'Well-Heeled'

Excerpts from the student magazine project 'Well-Heeled' where Sanam Peshiman made up the small team of editor, features writer and general dogsbody

Justification for Publication

The magazine Well- Heeled is a glossy quarterly publication geared at shoe-loving women between the ages of 15-50.

The entire style and tone of the magazine is very feminine, quirky and girl-next-door. It’s the kind of magazine you’d pick up to lift your spirits after a rough day and be assured to leave it feeling charmed.

The ethos behind the magazine is that while clothing is often the front-runner in terms of fashion, the power of shoes to our wardrobes is often not paid enough attention to. This magazine’s goal is to turn the focus onto shoes. It celebrates shoes, and makes us think about what we’re putting on our feet.

The editorial material, both pictorial as well as written, is very easygoing, glamorous and aspirational. The women who read this magazine won’t think twice before spending a week’s rent on expensive shoes, but are also excited by cheaper high street transient options. The pictures and subjects are deliberately extremely feminine and eye-catching, and are designed to be easy reading for one and all, no matter where the reader lives, or what she does. This magazine attempts to speak a language of love, passion and admiration for footwear to a generation of women who are obsessed with what they put on their feet.

Whether looking out for the latest trends in shoes (often easier to follow than fashion) or trying to think of the perfect birthday present for a shoe-loving girlfriend (the food page is a handy help) to getting the latest news on what is hip, hot and exciting in the world of footwear, this magazine caters to one and all. The shoe expert or the shoe novice, all have something they can take away from the magazine, which feeds into this interest in shoes and encourages it!

The advertisements are from famous designers who know that the discerning women who read the magazine, are more than likely to buy their shoes, or aspire to at least someday.

Overall the tone of the magazine is quirky, girly and approachable. Just when you feel it may be a little naff and amateur, it picks up the pace with a very astute observation on a trend or an upcoming shoe designer. There is something for every shoe lover, and it seems nowadays, everybody is a shoe lover!

EDITOR'S LETTER

Welcome Shoe Lovers! Here at Well- Heeled I am extremely excited to present our first issue dealing with the amazing world of shoes. People in the know often say you are either a shoe person, or a bag person, so along with Carrie Bradshaw, Imelda Marcos and about a million other women I am most definitely a shoe person. Ever since I can remember I have adored shoes. They are the perfect way to accentuate, downplay or simply add that extra oomph to your outfit. I still remember my very first favorite pair of shoes; I would’ve slept in them if I was allowed! Like me, millions of women around the world everyday are fascinated, invigorated and in our case, here at the magazine, inspired by footwear. This magazine is for all those women who ever fell in love with a pair of shoes; for the women who pick their shoes first, then their outfit later; for those women who know no matter what the outcome of the size zero debate, shoes will always make them feel fashionable and fabulous! Every month here at Well- Heeled our team diverts their attention knee-down to bring you the best from the beautiful world of shoes. We’ve got juicy news from Manolo Blahnik menswear to the latest on Pierre Hardy’s delish Gap range. This month we also shine the spotlight on the fabulous Nicholas Kirkwood, while our reporters ignore the fashion and focus on the good, the bad and the outrageous heating up the Spring/Summer 2008 catwalks. You’ll be chuckling over our star columnist’s views atop her sexy wedges, and might even decide to attempt a hand at baking up some fantastic shoe cakes. Our cover story this month is all about unraveling the aura of shoes in our lives, and revealing the favourite dress up and dress down shoes with a quirky picture diary. We spoke to lots of women about the shoes they grace their feet with, and we found every pair had a different story to tell about its wearer! Finally, always wear your shoes with safety and in the best of health, as we expose an uglier side to shoe obsessions gone too far, and give you helpful tips on how to walk in those sky high heels. With such an action packed issue, we hope to leave you hungered for more shoe fun ready to come. We don’t believe in glamour models, we push the fashion to the background…for years and years shoes have been relegated to the accessories closet, and once a month, we’re pushing shoes out from supporting roles to the forefront where they belong. Happy shoe shopping!

NEWS AND VIEWS KNEE-DOWN
Security meets Style

Every traveling woman’s nightmare- security checks! Whether watching about half our entire makeup bag being tucked into unappealing clear sandwich bags, or having our harmless tweezers branded a weapon, it seems security checks are out to get us! Imagine wearing your perfect travel-ready outfit, only to be stopped and told to take off your shoes. Hobbling around unattractively in a pair of tights with a hole in the toe may be a thing of the past thanks to researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. The ingenius discovery of a scanner using T-rays, a harmless form of electromagnetic radiation, could make it possible to examine traveler’s shoes without the need to disrobe. Unlike conventional X-rays, which can cause cell damage, T-rays do not have enough energy to lead to radiation sickness or cancer. And while they cannot see through metals or water, they can penetrate many common materials like leather, fabric, cardboard and paper. Ulrich Welp of Argonne's Materials Science Division said his colleagues and him still have a lot of fine-tuning to do, but the discovery offers a lot of promise. Great news for travelling in style without breaching security regulations at last!

Pierre Hardy for Gap: The magic continues!

Pierre Hardy’s capsule collection for Gap Europe has now been expanded towards Gap Inc. in the USA. The company announced Pierre Hardy for Gap womenswear shoes would hit the shelves in USA by February, as part of an expanded agreement with the French shoe designer. "This collaboration allows our customers to access Pierre Hardy's signature style in a way that reflects Gap's easy-to-wear aesthetic," the company says, with shoes priced at a convenient $70-$100. Hardy’s Design Editions collection for Gap Europe was extremely well-received, and the company hopes to follow the trend online and in select Gap stores nationwide.

Watch Out for: Piatonna’s Preziosa Range

The working women’s dilemma of flats versus heels has been conveniently answered by handbag designer Pia Tonna. Come February 2008, she will launch the Preziosa range of handbags under her Piatonna label, with each beautifully crafted leather bag coming with it’s own pair of sandals and the room to store them in! Says the designer, “"I love to wear heels but when I have to get from a to b around town in a hurry, or when I am taking it easy on holiday, then flats are an ideal option. So, to be able to carry your sandals around in the external pockets without them interfering with the main compartment of the bag seemed to me an obvious idea” Determined that her first foray into footwear wouldn't compromise Piatonna's reputation for standout luxury, the sandals are made from optical-lasered, metallic nappa leather and are available in seven opulent colours - which you can clash or coordinate with your bag as you choose. While Piatonna’s focus will continue remaining with innovative handbags, this brief foray into ingenius shoe design promises a combination to watch out for! Email info@piatonna.com for further details.

Fridamania

Fridamania has now reached our shoe wardrobes! Acclaimed Mexican artist and icon, Frida Kahlo’s commercialization has hit new heights with Converse releasing a new line of Chuck Taylors inspired by the artist’s cult status. The shoes feature the artist’s image, signature and snippets of her more famous works and are available throughout Mexico for about $80 (that’s roughly £45 for us!) The mass marketing of Frida has generated a number of critics in her homeland, who point out that the leftist painter (her casket was covered with a Communist Party flag) would have likely been revolted by the idea of her face and paintings being used to rake in corporate profits. Nonetheless, enthusiastic Kahlo lovers are choosing to wear their art where everybody can see it, at their feet that is!

Watch Out for: Manolo Blahnik Menswear

After a seven year hiatus, Manolo Blahnik returns to the menswear scene once again. With designs ranging from the classic suede oxford brogue to the unconventional leopard print sandal, Blahnik claims this small collection is an attempt to bring back some colour in the male wardrobe. Due to hit the shops in February, prepare to get your boyfriends and brothers hooked on the Blahnik Shoe Craze!

Buy it now: Agent Provocateur and Kurt Geiger

What do exquisite lingerie and beautifully crafted shoes have in common? Aside from the feel good factor that make every woman a devoted lover, Agent Provocateur and Kurt Geiger’s collaboration proves that sexiness doesn’t have to be limited to lingerie. The delicious range, entitled Pure Sex, is designed to compliment a women’s outer and underwear. The eight-piece range officially launched in October, with the subtle- chic strappy courts, to the statement making- racy, over the knee boots. So if you missed the bandwagon, buy some shoes you’ll never want to take off- on a night out, or in the bedroom…

SHOE CELEBRITY PROFILE

NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD

• WHO he is A bespoke and couture shoe designer, twenty seven year old Nicholas Kirkwood is one of Britain’s most promising talents in the footwear department. He is known for his thick stacked heels, solid, yet light looking wedges and angular pumps.
• WHEN it all began With a fine arts foundation from Central Saint Martin’s, Kirkwood worked for British milliner, Philip Treacy, before studying shoemaking at Cordwainers at London College of Fashion. He began by making shoes just for himself, debuting his first women’s collection in 2005.
• WHY he does what he does His aesthetic is infamously inspired by sculpture and architecture. Says the designer, “I think some of it is taken from architecture in a way that is not decorative in the classic sense, but lots of the shapes I've developed are based on how the shoe looks as a silhouette.” The designer said one of the things he loves most is having the freedom to design some shoes that are not ever intended for mass retail. “I want to create just for the love of doing it,” he says. “To have something that’s unique and not for commercial purposes at all. It keeps my spirit alive.”
• WHAT people say An unmistakable style, good timely design and top-notch craftsmanship have wooed the critics and the crowds. August 2007 had the designer win the AltaRoma/Vogue Italia “Who is on next” award for accessories design.
• WHERE to find him Currently stocked at Harrods, Browns Focus and Dover Street Market in London as well as another twelve stores worldwide including Kuwait, China, USA, Canada, Italy, Germany and Russia.
  
  

TREND WATCH

The good, the bad and the outrageous from the S/S 08 catwalks

This season the catwalks almost cried out with glee at the statement-making heels stomping down their length. Heels were undoubtedly the way forward, from needle-thin and sharp to homely chunky shapes.

Alexander McQueen set the precedent on the loud, the proud and the outrageous with big and ridiculous double-stilts. It was hot pink and black all the way with rake-thin stilettos inspiring awe and fear. The glam quotient was high and all shoes concerned lived up to the order of the day. Ties around ankles were spotted, whether prim and proper school-style shoestring laces or rope-like twisted ties with little tassels tossing behind the ankle like a pom-pom. Mr. McQueen never fails to create shoes that leave tongues wagging and the truly fashionable salivating.

Prada also experimented with heels, displaying a whole range from the narrow and familiar to the chunky and odd. Colors that wouldn’t be amiss on your grandmother’s knitted sweater; the buckles, buttons, straps and bobbles all ingeniously worked together to create some real outlandish statements. Miu-Miu went a step further and really made you look twice at the intricately and strangely adorned heels. One particular shoe had a tea-cup handle sticking out of its kooky kitten heel begging onlookers to drink in the sight of the look-at-me footwear.

Balenciaga interestingly chose to offset their fashion’s floral fascination with decidedly geometric shapes on their infamous black and white gladiator-gone-wild knee-high pieces. Unable to decide whether they were a shoe or a boot, they decided to be vain and defy convention to avoid being pigeon-holed as either.

Defying convention seemed to be another running theme as Marc Jacobs presented a crazy, invisible heel in gravity-defying patent leather fuchsia and forest green pumps. Candy colors were also spotted at Marios Schwab in a funky, cutaway geometric printed wedge heel ankle tie-up sandal.

Chloe couldn’t seem to decide if it wanted to go for a wedge or a cone heel, so decided to conjure up a not quite conical, not quite wedge shaped heel with a throwback to the 80s in patent leather white and candy floss pink.

Sophia Kokosalaki on the other hand, definitely decided on the conical shape, in an interesting show stopper piece in rich black, with double buckles. The caged-up front of the shoe was set off ironically by a thick fluffy black bobble and created an element of satire. Stella McCartney also jumped on the conical bandwagon in a decidedly natural range of shoes. Both sturdy and innately feminine; the wooden, ornately embossed heels in natural shades of army grey, mother-nature brown and light camouflage green were held together with natural materials like raffia and exposed cotton.

Last but not least, of the statement making brigade were Dries Van Noten’s gorgeous pumps. Crushed and folded silk in rainbow and exotic bird-feather colors held together to a perfectly prim round toe with a vertiginous stiletto heel.

The fantastic statements, whether feminine and stoic, or gregarious and wild, made the shoes on the Spring Summer catwalks often steal the spotlight from the fashion.