Nov 27
In the second in a series of interviews, FashionBite chats to Angela Simkins – the footwear designer for contemporary high street brand Jane Shilton – who is passionate about retail having worked in the industry all her life. She talks about the key looks for AW11 and what to look out for next season. Read more
Preen AW11 catwalk show at New York Fashion Week
Design duo Preen is set to design a collection for high street footwear brand Aldo. Preen designers Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi said:“We have just been in Montreal working with their [Aldo's] design team on the initial designs. It’s still in development, but the initial designs are looking very modern and sexy.”
US footwear brand Rockport is launching its first UK standalone store in London’s South Molton Street next month, alongside a transactional website which is due to debut this autumn.
Designer Olivia Rubin chats to FashionBite
London Fashion Week designer Olivia Rubin has launched a capsule collection for shoe retailer Dune.
FashionBite headed to the launch party last week, which was fabulous, taking place above the Dune store on South Molton Street, London. As we sipped pink champagne and nibbled on Olivia Rubin branded cupcakes, we chatted to the epnoymous designer herself who said she was “completely hands on” in the creative process of launching the capsule collection.
Rubin told Fashionbite that she’d designed the collection with all heel preferences in mind, incorporating flats, wedges, stilettos and chunky platforms into the 12-piece line. My favourite was the shoes (top), featuring Olivia’s signature print and an epsadrille toe platform.
Rubin said she would love to open her own store one day, but in the mean time is looking to launch a pop-up shop and is also working on some other collaborations, but was keeping tight lipped on those!
Prices range from £65 to £110 and the collection is on sale now in selected Dune stores. For more info, visit Dune.co.uk.
FashionBite xx
Aug 28
I headed to Duo’s store on Savile Row the other night for a fabulous evening of champagne, cupcakes and boots.
If you’re looking for the perfect leather boot…look no further!
Duo, if you’re not familiar with the brand, offers classic leather boots and shoes in over 36 sizes per style- boots range from 2-10 with 21 different calf widths!
Until my fitting, I had no idea they could vary so much in size and it’s amazing what a difference the perfect fit can make. Women’s individual calf widths can vary so much but you’re offered one standard size on the high street…so it kind of makes sense.
Duo stocks mainly own label and has four stores in the UK; London, Bath, Edinburgh and Manchester- along with a transactional website at www.duoboots.com.
The boots aren’t directional high fashion, but classic/contemporary with a nod to the season’s trends and work perfectly for next season’s countryside/heritage look- style with a camel cape to bring them bang up to date.
The boots are all real leather and extremely well made and it’s the kind of store that once you’ve discovered, you’ll never go back to the high street.
Duo kindly let me pick out a pair for myself, so I chose these gorgeous chocolate leather/suede boots with military style buckle (below)- drawing together a number of trends for next season with a classic twist.
They will look fab with black tights or tucked in jeans and a chunky cream cardigan when the night’s start drawing in…
fashionbite xx
Jun 25
Sarenza, the French online shoe firm, has just launched in the UK.
I’m wearing a pair of Vialis clog-inspired sandals (left and above) from Sarenza…rocking a key footwear trend for spring/summer ’10.
The site stocks over 200 brands, 7,000 styles and sells a mix of niche European labels alongside big-name brands. It has over 60 clog styles alone, starting from £32.
I’ve had a crush on Ash, the stunning luxury Italian shoe brand, for the last few years and Sarenza has a huge array on offer.
For more info on all the labels, visit their blog at www.blog.sarenza.co.uk.
fashionbite xx
May 17
Have you come across the website Linzi Shoes?
It reminds me a bit of Asos in its v.early days, celebrity-inspired fashion with great price points.
I’m on holiday in Singapore at the moment, heading to Bali tomorrow…will be updating with pics over the next week!!
I’ve picked up a gorgeous pair of sandals from Linzi Shoes, look great with tailored shorts for walking round the City and only 20 quid!
If you’re off on holiday, on a budget and want to snap up a few pairs of summer shoes before you go- definitely take a look.
fashionbite xx
Feb 1
We’ve all had the dilemma…you’ve got the perfect dress for a night out, perfect clutch to go with it and the perfect pair of shoes to party the night away. Ok, so the last bit’s not quite true…
Your shoes will last the next two hours.. just about, before they become so painful you can’t even stand up, then it’s barefoot all the way- not quite so glamorous! Or, you’ll have the age-old dilema of bringing flats and where to put them. Somehow an M&S carrier bag doesn’t quite have the same je ne sais quoi.
My friend had this exact same dilemma this weekend.
We headed to a club in Old Street for a friend’s leaving do. In anticipation of the pain later, she brought her favourite LK Bennett flats. Rather than carrying them around all night, she left them in her coat pocket in the cloackroom. Unfortunately, they didn’t stay there..well, one of them did. We scoured the club for the second shoe, but to no avail.
The solution? New ballet pumps Butterfly Twists. The soles fold in four places, forming a lightweight triangular parcel that just pops into your handbag. They also come in a range of colours and at £9.99 a pair, you can have one for every outfit. You can buy them online at Butterfly Twist, or at Asos.
If you lose both (or even one), you’ll be able to replace at a fraction of the cost. With London Fashion Week coming up, I know I’ll be investing in a pair or two…
fashionbite xx
Office showcased a dazzling array of footwear for spring/summer 2010.
Chunky cork, clog inspired wood and killer wedges led the way in heels. Along with an abundance of studding/embellishment which added that extra glamour to anything from summer flats to sexy heels. 
Loving the sparkly summer sandles-will look fab under a maxi-dress with a gorgeous tan, brightly painted toe nails and chunky accessories to complete the look….ahhh, roll on summer…!!
You can start buying spring/summer product online from early next year at Office.
fashionbite xx
Nov 26
Louis Vuitton’s footwear offer for spring/summer ’10 looks fantastic, and there was something for everyone (who has the budget!) at their press day this week with killer heels for the daring and clog-inspired kitten heels for those with a penchant for both comfort and fashion. Personally, I love the heels..I’m not sure how long I’d last in them though!
Marc Jacob’s spring/summer 2010 collection for Louis Vuitton moved far away from last season’s Parisian cocktail parties to a range inspired by new age travellers and life on the road. Oversized satchel and duffle bags in denim, apparently bleached by the sun, appeared in vivid shades of pink, green, orange and blue. Alongside sportsbag styles with fluorescent accessories. 
To buy online, visit Louis Vuitton’s website early next year.
fashionbite xx
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