L’amic Biel Massot em va convidar dimecres passat a compartir tres quarts d’hora amb ell i els oients de Ràdio Marratxí (92.9 FM). El programa Amb P de Pòrtula –en el qual particip amb una col·laboració mensual dedicada a temes de Comunicació– s’emet cada dimecres de 17 a 20 h, i es repeteix cada diumenge dematí de 7 a 10. El leitmotiv (ui, que sona d’antic això) de l’audició comentada era l’AMISTAT; sobre ella, les amigues i els amics, divagàrem al voltant d’un parell (mallorquí) de cançons. Va ser una estona molt, molt agradable perquè estàvem… entre amics. N’hi ha qualcunes a Youtube (d’altres no… llàstima), i m’ha semblat divertit posar-les per aquí. Esper que a voltros també vos agradin.  

1.- “Carta a un amic” –  Maria del Mar Bonet

     “Per altres sé de tu / i molt poques vegades / cau aquell tel / que tot ho fa confús”. Conec poques cançons que comencin així, així de bé. És un tema original de Mª del Mar Bonet del disc Anells d’aigua (1985), editat com a fruit del seu interès per la música del nord d’Àfrica. En ell comptà amb la col·laboració de l’Ensemble de Musique Traditionelle de Tunis, amb el qual realitzà una gira per Espanya i França i, posteriorment, mantengué una presència continuada als escenaris al llarg de molts anys. Un disc ben redó (“redó com tots” digué en Biel, però ja m’enteneu), amb cançons que queden en el record (ja fa quasi 25 anys!) com ”Els boscos del pensament”, “El salt de la Bella Dona”, “Ànima morta”, i aquesta “Dansa de la primavera”,…

2.- “Els amics que se’n van” –  Anegats

     Anegats és un grup mallorquí nascut a Son Servera (1994) que es caracteritza per l’èxit entre la gent jove de les seves cançons, més o menys divertides, que parlen de l’amistat, l’amor i les arrels de l’illa. Cinc amics de colla varen decidir omplir el temps lliure amb una banda: varen comprar instruments, anaren a classes de guitarra i varen convèncer un d’ells, en Jaume, perquè se compràs una bateria i aprengués a fer-la sonar. El 2009 han tret el 4t disc: “Paraules” sempre amb Blau/Disc Medi. De la 1ª època sobreviuen temes com “I ara què“, “Vell marí” o “Els amics que se’n van“, vinculats a l’edat que tenien aleshores, 15 anys.

3.- “Tens un amic” – Gossos 

     El grup Gossos, un dels més populars del rock català, ha destacat per la seva música totalment acústica, només amb guitarres i baix, sense percusions fins el 2002, any en què va iniciar una electrificació del seu so que ha arribat a la maduresa el 2008 amb el disc en directe ‘A l’Auditori’. “Tens un amic” és una versió en català de “You’ve got a friend”, de Carole King (popular cantant i compositora nordamericana a qui Neil Sedaka dedicà als anys ’60 la famosa “Oh Carol”). La versió de Gossos va ser utilitzada el desembre del 2006 per a promocionar La Marató de TV3 dedicada al dolor crònic. “Si et sents trist i emboirat i necessites una mà / si les coses no et roden bé / tanca els ulls i pensa amb mi / que prest jo seré aquí…”. Una cançó que també havia versionat la marratxinera Marisa Rojas.

4.- “Per al meu amic” – Joan Manuel Serrat   

     Joan Manuel Serrat publicà el 1973 l’àlbum “Per al meu amic” que alguns crítics consideren un dels més aconseguits de la seva carrera. Inclou temes ben coneguts com “Helena”, cançó d’enyor d’un amor perdut i “Pare”, una ferma denúncia –ben actual– de la destrucció que sofreix la Natura. El 1971 havia editat “Mediterráneo” (amb cançons memorables com la que dóna nom al LP i tan meravelloses com “Aquellas pequeñas cosas”) i el 1972 el disc dedicat als poemes de Miguel Hernández. “Per al meu amic” (2006) també va ser el títol d’un triple àlbum col·lectiu de Discmedi dedicat a Serrat per un grapat de cantants que feien versions de cançons seves: Antònia Font, Miguel Poveda, Mª del Mar Bonet, Dyango, Cris Juanico, Cappela, Uc, Marina Rossell, Jaume Sisa, Miquela Lladó… i Big Mama que versiona aquesta “Per al meu amic” que en l’original de Serrat que escoltam aquí tenia els arranjaments del mestre Antoni Ros Marbà.

5 – “Jo sóc el teu amic” – Els Pets

Els Pets és un grup de pop rock català, liderat per Lluís Gavaldà, originari del poble de Constantí (al Tarragonès), a la veu i guitarra, i també n’és el principal compositor, Joan Reig a la bateria i Falin Cáceres al baix. En els dos primers discos també formava part del grup el guitarrista Ramon Vidal. Els acompanyen habitualment unes coristes anomenades Les Llufes. Allò que esperam dels amics és que estiguin aprop en els pitjors moments: “Quan tot sona tan repetit / tan inútil, tan avorrit / quan l’únic combustible és el dolor (…). Quan se’t fa tant costa amunt / començar des del mateix punt / prova de cridar-me, que no tens motiu per estalviar-me”. Un tema que conclou: som el teu amic, vull que em molestis, parla’m o plora, que no tenc cap altra feina aquesta nit. Això se diu “disposició total”, sí senyor…

6.- “Amics per sempre” – Josep Carreras i Sarah Brightman / Los Manolos

Amics per sempre, o Friends for Life, és un tema interpretat per Josep Carreras i Sarah Brightman escrit per als Jocs Olímpics de Barcelona/1992, amb música d’Andrew Loyd Weber (quasi res !!). La lletra, escrita per Don Black, és en anglès, excepte la tornada que és repeteix en anglès, castellà i català. Aquest tema va ser interpretat durant la cerimònia de clausura del Jocs. Aquí la versió més escoltada, que va assolir la tercera posició en les llistes, fou… la del grup Los Manolos amb arranjaments de rumba i lletra en català i castellà, excepte la tornada. Se n’han fet moltes versions i en un dels concerts a Beijing (Xina) se’n va interpretar una versió xinesa “永远的朋友”amb la meitat de la lletra en mandarí i l’altra meitat en anglès.

7.- “Amiga” – Cap on’nam

 CAPONNAM neix a Barcelona (1995), d’entre un grup d’amics universitaris, amb l’objectiu de sonar cançons populars i tradicionals d’arreu dels Països Catalans. «Amiga» és un tema de Lluís Vaquer i Edgar Gabaldà que pertany al seu disc «Roda al món i torna al born» (Ref. Blau cd 231) enregistrat a Ona Digital l’any 2000. Jaume Gomila Saura, vocalista del grup, resumeix la nova proposta en els termes següents: «CAPONNAM convida a fer un itinerari per les diverses melodies i geografies del planeta: partint del background popular i tradicional, abordam, de manera decidida, la composició pròpia, l’exploració de nous estils —llatí, pop, country, mediterrani o folk— i, fins i tot, la versió d’algun clàssic de la música beat. El disc és, doncs, resultat de la fusió de sis personalitats artístiques força singulars, que queden amalgamades per mitjà d’una instrumentació i uns arranjaments cada cop més ambiciosos i menys convencionals.»

Si voleu escoltar el programa de dimecres passat d’Amb P de Pòrtula

el repetiran demà diumenge dematí de 7 a 10;

la nostra audició sonarà cap a les 9:15,

una hora perfecta per gaudir de la sintonia de l’amistat

…si és que encara no dormiu, que és diumenge, carai

 Ràdio Marratxí   92.9 FM

Ràdio Marratxí en directe… http://www.radiomarratxi.es/flashplayer.html

COCO CHANEL

Coco fue una mujer independiente con un sentido genial de estilo y elegancia, y más allá de eso, alguien muy original. Entre sus clientes habituales estaban celebridades de los 50 como Brigitte Bardot, Katherine Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly o Marilyn Monroe.

Creía firmemente en que la elegancia de la ropa significa “libertad al moverse”; por ello introdujo el pantalón en la moda femenina de la época hasta la actualidad. También son más que famosas sus aportaciones como el Chanel Suit, el suéter con cuello de tortuga, las gabardinas y las french coat (antes solo para hombres).

MANOLO BLAHNICK

Este diseñador de zapatos canario dejó los estudios para mudarse a París con la intención de estudiar arte, aunque finalmente fue en Londres donde conoció a la editora de Vogue que le animó a lanzarse como diseñador de zapatos.

En 1971 se va a New York donde presenta a la editora de Vogue un portfolio donde había dibujos y diseños de sus zapatos. Asombrada por su talento, esta mujer fue quien le convence para dedicarse al diseño de calzado.

Comienza a diseñar y hacer zapatos para Zapata y más tarde para los diseñadores Ossie Clark, Perry Ellis, Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta y Galliano. Pero su gran salto se produce cuando en la serie “Sexo en Nueva York” la actriz principal se declara adicta a sus zapatos.

Hoy en día, sus zapatos tienen nombre propio, los Manolos, y son codiciados por todo tipo de mujer.

LOUIS VUITTON

Actualmente es una empresa francesa que diseña ropa y complementos de lujo, fundamentalmente de cuero ; y principal patrocinador de la Copa América. Fue fundada, como su nombre indica, por Louis Vuitton.

Dice la leyenda, que Vuitton fue aceptando todo tipo de trabajos a lo largo de su larga travesía hacia París, donde comenzó a escribir su propia historia y la de la moda, especialmente a partir de ser descubierto por Napoleón III, quien lo contrató al servicio de su esposa, Eugenia de Montijo.

Su primer diseño, fueron sus ya famosos baúles con las inciales de su nombre, LV, aún de moda en la actualidad. De ahí siguió con sus más que conocidos diseños de bolsos y por último de ropa y complementos.

Aquí simplmente colgaré los videos de la “entrevista” que Manolo Lama y Manu Carreño hicieron a Florentino Pérez en el “informativo” de Cuatro, más adelante vendrá el post en el que analizaré lo que para mí significa la entrevista.

PARTE 1

PARTE 2

PARTE 3

PARTE 4

PARTE 5

PARTE 6

PARTE 7

PARTE 8

PARTE 9

Sí, señores, ya no me enfado más con este Real Madrid. Porque enfadarse es malo para la salud. Y al final salgo perjudicado. Hoy la afición debe una disculpa. Una disculpa porque aún poniendo la ilusión que ha puesto, llenando un campo contra un equipo de 2ªB no se la ha respetado. Ya no por la eliminación, sino por la imagen. No puede ser que el señor Pellegrini busque la remontada con Lass en el lateral, con Gago y Diarra en la manija del juego y con Raúl “correypalmas” González Blanco en el equipo. El Madrid estuvo impotente, le faltaba chispa. Todos conocemos a Diarra y no podemos esperar que distribuya el juego. Pero lo de Gago va mucho más lejos. Es verdaderamente una aberración al futbol. Todo esto acompañado de Lass en el lateral. El Madrid supuestamente, como toda persona, tiene dos pulmones. Lass y Xabi. Cualquiera que entienda mínimamente de esto, sabrá que con Xabi nos la han colado. Ya solo nos queda un pulmón. Si lo apartamos ¿Qué sucede? La muerte. Planteó también mal el otro lateral. Si Arbeloa apenas va a bajar en todo el partido, no será mejor que juegue Marcelo. Y arriba Raúl y Van Nistelrooy. Como puedes jugar con dos jugadores lentos en el mismo equipo. Contra un equipo que va a cerrarse atrás, no es mejor jugadores rápidos que hagan desmarques. Pero ya se sabe, si juegas 180 minutos con Raulito que puedes esperar. Por lo demás, felicitar al Alcorcón que planteó muy bien los dos partidos. Uno al ataque, otro en defensa. Señor Pellegrini le pegaron un repaso táctico.

Por otro lado, independientemente de que el Madrid se merezca perder la eliminatoria con toda justicia, el árbitro estuvo bastante mal. Es la tónica que hay soportar con los dirigentes de esto y la gran parte de la prensa de este país. El Madrid se le puede robar y no respetar. ¿Por qué hoy los Manolos de cuatro se pasan de la forma que lo hacen con Florentino? ¿No ha accedido el presidente de uno de los clubs más representativos de la nación acudir a su programa? Se merece un mínimo de respeto, sobre todo por parte de Manolo Lama. No por su persona, sino por el gran número de personas que representa en este país. Pero desde ciertos informativos solo se habla de todo lo malo del Madrid, de mala forma y mofándose. Hay que vanagloriar al Barca, así lo quiere el poder. Y la mejor manera es desprestigiar al Madrid. Espero que las audiencias caigan.

Por último fíjense a qué punto llega el Villarato, que el otro día se presentan 359 reclamaciones por tarjetas de consideración dudosa en todas las categorías del fútbol español. 358 de ellas fueron aceptadas y el jugador pudo disputar el partido o desprenderse de la tarjeta acumulativa. Solo 1 de ellas no fue aceptada. ¿Sabéis cual? La de Albiol. Sobran las palabras.

Curioseando por Serrano, descubro en un pequeño pasadizo un sueño para nosotras las feminas.
Mi curiosidad, para variar, me lleva hasta la puerta. Una vez allí toco el timbre y mientras abren una amable sonrisa me recibe; y  tras ella vislumbro el sueño.

Sinceramente, nunca he sido una compradora compulsiva ni mucho menos una fashion victim; pero entro en la tienda con una con una mezcla de curiosidad, expectación y seguridad. La seguridad que te genera el conocimiento de la grandeza del creador del sueño.

Encuentro una atmósfera perfecta, carente de excesos, con los detalles adecuados y una feminidad extrema.  ¿Qué dónde me encuentro? En la pequeña y recóndita,  pero a la vez exquisita tienda de Manolo Blahnik en Madrid.

Manolos por todas partes, de todos los colores y todos los estilos. Tienes desde stilletos, botines a carteras de una exquisita terminación.
Increíble la capacidad de reinvención y de mesura, a la hora de administrar su éxito, sin excesos. Y por supuesto, con la clase y el estilo que le caracteriza.

…Who Can Do No Wrong!

1. Taylor Swift

Taylor Not-Too-Swift may be the number one selling whatever on the planet right now for her country-pop-blah, but is she really the stepped-on-kitten everyone is making her out to be after the Kanye debacle?

“Swift Pick. In this business, you’ve got to be decisive. So I choose milk. Some* studies suggest that teens who choose milk instead of sugary drinks tend to be leaner and the protein helps build muscle. So eat right, exercise and drink 3 glasses of lowfat or fat free milk a day. Music to my ears.”

*…Other studies show that the vast majority of adults are lactose intolerant - dairy contributing to eczema, acne, anemia, arthritis, ADD, fibromyalgia, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, IBS, joint pain, osteoporosis, allergies, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autism, Chron’s disease, breast cancer, and prostate cancer (!)

Factory farmed milk contains dioxin – one of the most toxic substances in the world, and when you digest dairy, you’re also digesting all the anti-biotics, growth hormones (if you’re American), pesticides, and steroids that the cows are ingesting. The bovine growth hormone, legal in the US, makes cows produce ten times the milk they normally would, causing bleeding and infections of the cows’ udders. Not to mention the constant pain and grieving the cows endure being kept perpetually pregnant, having their babies ripped away from them (who they would normally form longterm to lifelong relationships with), and having their sensitive udders hooked into a machine all day.

Can we give a major Boo-Urns to Taylor Swift for her choice of endorsement here?

If milk farmers didn’t spend millions of dollars a year promoting their products the public might be able to learn about the diseases caused by milk, but instead Not-Too-Swift chooses to reap the profits by diseasing millions of people.

2. Sarah Jessica Parker

Chix love to live vicariously through SJP, whether on the small screen or the big screen. But is Carrie really the Manolo hero Sex In the City makes her out to be?

We are calling you out, Carrie Bradshaw, on your failure to properly research the product you’ve chosen to represent. Garnier is owned by l’Oreal, and l’Oreal TESTS ON ANIMALS. This means that to have photoshopped lucious locks like Carrie’s, you would be paying for a product that practises the Draze test, a procedure in which toxic chemicals are dumped into the eyes of animals while their heads are kept in restraints (their necks often snapping as they try to escape), and you would also be paying for tests that pump chemicals into the stomachs of animals (a hole sometimes cut in their throats) to see how many chemicals the animal can ingest before dying. We’re talking mice, rabbits, cats, dogs, and sometimes primates.

Fuck Garnier and fuck SJP’s lack of judgement here. She’s smarter than this.

Try Naturcolor instead: all natural and not tested on our friends.

3. Rihanna

Poor Rihanna. She got hit in the face pretty bad by her ex, Chris Beat-Her-Down Brown. Rihanna would never hurt anyone. Directly. She would only endorse the unnecessary deaths of millions of animals if they paid her the right price.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but did Chris Beat-Her-Down Brown pour chemicals into Rhianna’s eyes until she became blind? Did Chris-Beat-Her-Down Brown keep Rihanna in intense confinement during the entire course of their relationship? Did he hack muscle tissue off Rihanna’s thighs to test his new cologne on? Brutal humor here, but am I at least proving a point?

Pop sensation, Rihanna, is fueling the multi-billion dollar industry of animal testing and encouraging millions of teens and tweens around the world to jump on board in supporting this archaic, horrific business.

As cutting edge as Rihanna is supposed to be, she is not the voice of the future, but the voice of the past.

Boycott all Procter & Gamble products and Boycott Cover Girl and tell Rhianna what you think of her lack of compassion. Boycott abuse to humans AND animals.

This week is the 70^th Anniversary of the film release of The Wizard of Oz.  In honor of Dorothy, the Land of Oz, and all the places the Yellow Brick Road has taken anyone who dares to follows it—this week The Island Shoe Girl celebrates the Original Shoe Girl…Dorothy and her little dog too!

This modern shoe girl pairs her Nine West Ruby heels with a Kate Spade bag (instead of a basket) and her trusty dog Stanley. Photo by Jean Thornton

With three little clicks of her heels, a star was born!  No, not a movie star, since Judy Garland was well on her way to being the original celebrity meltdown, but a shoe star was born.  Dorothy, the pioneer shoe girl, skipped her way into the hearts of women around the world and across generations by proving that the secret to life and happiness could be found in a pair of flashy red heels.  Any shoe girl who needs to prove the value of every pair of shoes she ever splurged on, need only look to Dorothy for justification and guidance. 

Long before Carrie Bradshaw danced along Manhattan streets and fell in out-of-love with Mr. Big, Aiden, and sampled a few others, Dorothy was strutting along the Yellow Brick Road with three men in tow—all willing to follow the whims of a girl who wasn’t really sure where she was going or how she intended to get there.  Ever since she batted her eyes, pouted her lower lip, and put three complete strangers under her thumb, women everywhere have learned that these tricks paired with a great pair of shoes can make men into… well cowardly lions, thoughtless scarecrows, and even tin men in search of the ability to love. 

Dorothy’s world pre-shoes was drab and gray, living on the family farm with an Aunt who is willing to off her little Toto.  (I hate to be harsh, but that twister was a blessing in disguise!  I would have stood in a field and hoped for a soft landing in New York City.)  But Dorothy’s world after red shoes turned bright and colorful, suddenly filled with hero worship that inspired impromptu musical numbers by little people as well as a potential career as a hit woman. 

On top of the parade and the new friendship with The Lollipop Guild, Dorothy also got kudos from a real live good witch.  Not only do the Good Witch and residents of Munchkinland love Dorothy for simply showing up at the right time, but they also hand over magic shoes.  You can’t buy that kind of friendship—trust me, I’ve tried!  It does not matter how fabulous your entrance might be at Niemen Marcus, you will never be given the only pair of coveted heels for free. 

For a girl who has no clue where she is or how she got there, that Dorothy is a real go-getter and quite the navigator as well.  With minimal directions and instructions—and no modern-day GPS system—Dorothy hits the road with the zeal and gusto of a woman who has never had a blister from breaking in a new pair of shoes.   Along the way Dorothy picks up a collection of men with issues, from the inability to think clearly or feel emotions, to the act of standing up for oneself.  I have to say I think I have dated all of these guys at some time or another but I wouldn’t dare go on a road trip with all three at once.  More power to you, Dorothy!

If you thought that being picked up in a tornado and dropped off in a mythical land might be on the verge of bad luck, consider that in order to get back home (not that I would be rushing back to that dirt farm myself) you have to battle a Wicked Witch, who is obsessed with stealing your shoes.  I can certainly relate in this instance, as I feel most of the world is after my own fabulous footwear.   But imagine saving the Land of Oz from not one but TWO Wicked Witches only to find that the Wizard is actually a fraud hiding behind a curtain.  Dorothy, welcome to the world of disappointing men.  All that talk and he doesn’t even know how to get you home, which is why, wherever your travels land you, make sure to get the number for a taxi company. 

Thank goodness for good friends, especially when they are Good Witches.  Leave it to Glinda to give Dorothy the advice that every shoe girl knows deep down inside: your shoes always had the power all along; you just have to feel it for yourself.  And that is a lesson every shoe girl should take with her.  Life’s journeys may drop you in unexpected places and leave you surrounded by strangers in a strange land, but it’s how you skip down the Yellow Brick Road that really matters. 

There is one final lesson:  It is great to make a good entrance, but an amazing exit is always a thousand times more important as it keeps the people wanting more.  Dorothy made no mistakes here as she left with an all-time great tag line, “there’s no place like home.”  I would have probably said “there’s no shoes like Manolos”, but hey every shoe girl has her own style and hopefully her own Ruby Red Slippers too.

The phrase “dog days of Summer” refers to the hottest most sultry days of Summer.  I dont know about other parts of the country, but right now it is so hot on the East Coast that stepping outside almost takes your breath away.  As the heat index rises, my tootsies have a tendency to swell a bit, so now more than ever comfort is key.  My mission for finding good looking, comfortable yet fashionable shoes is an ever-present quest because this is a combo that is truly hard to find!

During my time off I spent A LOT of time in flats and I gotta tell you, I love a FAB heel but there’s nothing like your feet feeling good all day.  My brand new all time favorites are FitFlops.  I’d never seen them or heard of them until two weeks ago, and now everywhere I look I see people wearing them. (I may just be late to the party, but I’m glad I finally arrived!) The FitFlop tag line is “It’s the flip-flop with the gym built in.  Put on a pair and get a workout while you walk.”  I can’t vouch for the workout while you walk , but they make me feel as if I’m walking on a bed of marshmallows – and if I’m getting a great workout to boot, who am I to complain?

Now, if truth be told, my feet have never felt anything but good in a pair of Birkenstocks.  I know they conjure up crunchy granola, but once you wear them they feel so good that all thoughts of Woodstock will melt away.  The thing that makes Birkenstocks special is that the footbed is created to mimic the shape of a healthy human foot, so they’re “anatomically correct” (which is more than I can say for any pair of Manolos I’ve ever owned!).  German powerhouse, Heidi Klum, has taken her countrymen’s shoes to a new level, same footbed but designer uppers.  My faves are the Gizeh, Sydney and Kairo. Goodbye Woodstock, Hello Hollywood Bowl!

Celebrities these days are swearing by Skechers as a great run-around shoe. They claim to get you in shape without having to set a foot in the gym by promoting weight loss, toning muscles and improving posture.  They’re a little clunky for me, but if they do half of what they claim to, I may have to go on and buy a pair.  And I know the Millennials swear by Havaianas, which have been around for almost 50 years so there’s definitely some there there.  Created in Brazil for those girls from Ipanema, their makers were originally inspired by the Japanese Zori sandal – the slipper of Japan, you know the rice straw soles with fabric straps- which have been around forever.  In terms of a basic flip flop, you need look no further.  One note of caution, flip flops are great in the right context.  I think you all know what I mean.  For any who aren’t sure, shoot me an email and we can chat about when and when not to wear flip flops.

Oh, and fellas – the cool thing about each of these brands is that they have shoes for both men and women.

Stay tuned as my quest for comfortable yet fashionable shoes continues!

We were all born barefoot and sometimes I think that’s the way I was meant to stay. Believe me, I’d love to be a fan of shoes, especially the pretty ones, but my feet won’t comply. As a little girl, I used to play dress up and put on my mum’s high heels and totter around the kitchen. One of my nieces first words was “shoes” and now at age seven, she’s still the little Fashionista!
This led me to question what is it about this obsession with shoes?

Fairytales and Films

Ruby Slippers Wizard of Oz

Sex and City

Louboutins

Manolos

Imelda Marcus
We hear of more and more women like Imelda Marcus, former Philippine First Lady, with their large shoe collections. She said she once saw a New York shoe shop poster saying: “There is a little Imelda in all of us.” The Philippines’ shoemaking capital of Marikina in Manila has acquired 200 pairs of shoes from her famed collection for a new shoe museum. The exhibits include shoes made by such world-famous names as Ferragamo, Givenchy, Chanel and Christian Dior, all size eight-and-a-half. The museum has been unable to obtain a famous battery-operated pair that blinked when Mrs Marcos danced. I think people look at me funny when I say I have less than 20 pairs of shoes in my wardrobe and that includes my wellies, runners and slippers!

Designer shoes for H&M

Jimmy Choos

Baby High Heels
To top it all off, a company, called Heelarious, has launched a product for baby girls, their very own first high heels. Britta Bacon & Hayden Porter are childhood friends turned business partners. While Hayden was completely obsessed with high heels, Britta wasn’t even sure if she owned a pair. On her way to her daughter Kayla’s 4th birthday party, Britta was reminiscing about when Kayla was a baby and Hayden’s shoe obsession crossed her mind. She thought to herself “That would have been hilarious if I could have brought Kayla to a party in high heels when she was a baby”. It was at that moment that •heelarious® was born. Extremely funny, completely soft shoes for babies, 0-6 months designed to look like high heels, Not intended for walking (heel will collapse with weight). To me they just look ridiculous.

MBTs
When MBT’s (Masai Barefoot Technology), also known as the anti-shoe, burst onto the market a few years ago, I thought they sounded like a dream come true. The invention of a Swiss Engineer, Karl Muller who recreated the effect of walking barefoot on the uneven ground of the Masai’s East African homeland. It is the first physiological footwear that has a positive effect on the whole body: good for your posture, alleviates both back pain and joint pain and helps you lose weight and tone up. MBTs are now available in over twenty countries and approximately one million pairs are sold every year. Like everyone else I jumped on that particular bandwagon hoping for a miracle cure. Costing about €200 this miracle cure didn’t come cheap. After a short walk, I had blisters on both feet and now they sit forlornly in the back of my wardrobe.

FitFlop

Fit Flops

Barefoot Running Shoes

Glove Shoes

Going Barefoot
I love going barefoot as much as possible, although I do wear shoes when out and about! I think it is important to let your feet breathe every now and again and there’s no better feeling than the feeling of nature beneath your feet. Go on be one with nature!

Goooood morning!

I hope you have big plans for this weekend! May I suggest you make a Vision Board?

A vision board is something that I read about in “The Secret.” I love that book because it’s all about harnessing the power of positive thinking. I always say I’m the luckiest girl, and my good luck seems to bring on more good luck. In the past year, I definitely started utilizing the principles of “The Secret” more and more, and I definitely feel like I’m coming out on top.

Anyway, a vision board is simply a poster where you put pictures from magazines or the Internet that represent what you truly want. The idea behind it is that if you surround yourself with images of what you truly want–whether in terms of love, money, location, or career–you’re openly asking the universe to send those things your way and you will attract them. It’s a little different from posting pictures of things that inspire you. This is more like a universal wish list.

Most people who have a vision board have a story of how it’s worked for them. When I worked at ELLE, we had a big vision board in the office. My addition to the board was a picture of sea foam green pointy-toe Manolos. We got shoes months before they were available in stores, so I started lusting after these back at Christmas. I snapped a picture of them when we had them in the office and printed it out to put on the board. (I don’t think my color was actually produced, because they aren’t available on any Web site; just know they are suede and the color of a chic after-dinner mint, circa 1963.)

Aaaaannnd…I got these $575 shoes through a PR friend on my last day at the office! She had set the sample aside for me when I mentioned how much I loved them months earlier. That’s the power of believing! This is definitely not the first time I’ve gotten something from my vision board, but that’s the most fun thing. (There was also the ipod Touch. Two days after I put it on my vision board, my old one broke and I got the Touch. Speedy speedy!)

Now, most of the images on my vision board go deeper than a pair of pumps or an ipod, but you can put anything you believe you want or need. The point is to truly want it. So before you make your vision board, think about what it is you really want and where you really are at this point in your life.

To make a vision board you need:

• A nice poster board or bulletin board
• Magazines that will contain images of things you want (Do you need a travel magazine or a fitness magazine? “Forbes” or “Vogue” or “Entertainment Weekly?”)
• A glue stick or thumb tacks
• Scrapbook paper or fabric if you wanna get fancy!

You can cover the board with paper or fabric that you like or that represents you. (I divided mine into four quadrants and used a different color for each.) You know I love a theme, so don’t hesitate to use colors or patterns to represent specific goals or aspects of your personality.

Start by tearing out pictures of things you want. Don’t worry if they don’t seem to relate. It’s just nice to see a hard representation of things that strike you. Once you have a collection of images, choose the things that you truly want. You can take it in any direction. You can put very specific representations of what it is you want, like a house or a job; if you aren’t sure, just pick things that strike your fancy. You can also give it a theme and make it all about health or whatever! Be picky though–don’t put up tons of ridiculous and expensive shit; put up the one specific thing that means something to you.

We also printed checks from the Universe to add to our board at ELLE. You just print this blank check and write it to yourself in the amount you want. My amount was considerably lower than the amounts everyone else put, but I knew I didn’t need much to get me through my move and job transition. And–surprise, surprise!–it came my way. So download and print this one and check yo’self.

As a finishing touch, you should add a picture of yourself feeling truly happy–right in the center–because ultimately, you’re asking for happiness. You can have the dream job or the Manolos, but if you aren’t happy, it means nothing.

Put your vision board somewhere you can see it, and believe in it! Don’t write me in a week whining you haven’t gotten your Chanel bag or engagement ring yet. When you ask for something and are truly positive in what you’re attracting, trust me–these things will find their way to you!

This weekend, declare and display what you want. You deserve to get everything your heart desires. Looking at my vision board makes me feel positive and happy–but not as positive and happy as getting what I ask for!

Have a great Friday!

I know this one seems obvious.

But– I literally just pooped myself thinking about the new line of Jimmy Choos that came out–the ones I will never afford.

Women love shoes. We walk into a DSW or a Broadway Shoe Warehouse and we become rabid animals. I will literally fight a bitch over the last pair of size 10 (yes. I wear a size 10. What?) Nine West Red stilettos. These places are orgasms for our eyes. And feet.

Seriously– I have a friend with 29 pairs of Pumas. Seriously. Some women love sports shoes, others love boots. My favorite shoe however, has to be the heel.

It’s not that high heeled shoes are fun to wear by any means. In fact, I have many blister scars to prove this point. High Heeled shoes are so damn, for lack of a better word, sexy. We know men love them. We know men love our legs and butts in them too. We love how we look in them. They make us look–dare I say, Thinner? These shoes create an amazing line on any woman–regardless of body shape, height and often, weight.

The variety of high heels amazes me as well. Wedges, stilettos, the mule heel, heeled boots– I am drooling. And the colors! Oh– the colors! From basic black to magenta to silver– the choices are endless. Frankly, I don’t really care who made the damn things either– if I can afford it– I want it. If I could afford Manolos or Choos, I would. Alas, I am not Carrie Bradshaw and I recognize my financial limits.

Acceptable.

I won’t just stop at the heels though, ladies. I have come to adore the flat as well. One must be careful with the flat. Especially if you have the dreaded cankle. Flats NEVER look good with a pair of capris and cankles. NEVER. (Just lose the capris and I’ll let anything slide. Effing capris.)

Look, if you are buying a ‘flat’ shoe from Sketchers or Walmart, we need to talk. Flats should add pop to your outfits. Color, shine, quirkiness.

Ew. No flats for you.

They look amazing with skinny jeans and summer skirts. Yes, they are comfortable and many times, stylish. But this idea can go terribly wrong. Flats are not meant to be sporty. Those are the ugly ones I am talking about. We’ve all seen it– usually on our mothers or a teacher. Ew. And if you wear Crocs–you are a lost cause and I want nothing to do with you. What the hell are you thinking? No, I will never shop for shoes with you. We have no trust. You have broken that.

And dude– it is not just flats that have the tendency to be worn incorrectly. Stilettos can also go terribly wrong. I have seen many a pair enter the prom that have been tacky, ugly, and plain ghetto. After all, I was a high school teacher. If clear plastic, glitter or rhinestones appear anywehere on the shoe–burn it. If it has a ribbon on it that wraps up your calf–destroy it. And–most importantly– if you can’t handle walking in it–give it up. You can’t carry it off and women everywhere will notice. And mock you. Behind your back.

These are so gross. I need to throw up.

It comes down to this: Women and shoes are a marriage that may be made in heaven,  but can quickly become financial hell. Men be forewarned– as my closet is taken up by a ridiculous amount of heels and other feet related items, yours probably will be soon (if not already). It is the circle of life. It is the way of the world.

Try to reason with her. She’ll sigh and roll her eyes. Try to stop her. She’ll just hide her numerous shopping bags when you get home. Try to take the shoes back. She’ll cut you whilst you sleep.

When you see your woman with a pair of shoes on that you don’t recognize, ask her about them. She’ll say she’s had them for awhile and just found them again.

She’s lying.

My thanks to the divine Chuck and his stunning team at Dymocks for their wonderful hospitality at a book-signing today!  As always, SP Emma Bowd and I had much fun chatting with an array of lovely Shoe Princesses and hearing their wonderful shoe stories!

We even had a SP demonstrate walking in her fascinating MBT shoes (that’s “Masai Barefoot Technology” for the uninitiated).  Now…they were funky and red, but, let’s face it, any shoe with NO heel that markets itself as an anti-shoe is hardly going to rock my world!  Best left to the dear little Masai men and I’ll stick to my Manolos. xx

Manolo Blahnik stilettos (all illustrations by Venetia Sarll*)

My darling Shoe Princesses, have I got an adorable story for you!

Sent in today by the divine SP Lorraine – formerly a steadfast Cinderella SP but now, thanks to a purple suede pair of strappy Manolo Blahnik stilettos purchased at her local thrift shop (!) a very happy Recessionista SP.

Over to you Lorraine:

…”Was bursting to tell someone and thought you would be the only person on the planet to truly understand!  My very first pair of Manolos came complete with original box, tissue paper (sooo important) and dust bag.   This is the highest pleasure… ‘a gift from a shoe goddess’ as opposed to the guilt of an expensive credit card purchase!  Am eternally optimistic after such a lucky find that my life will now take a turn and live up to my new shoes!”

SP Emma Bowd can’t help but wonder how the (almost-new) Manolos ended up in the thrift shop…could be the beginning of another book…xx

*More magnificent shoe illustrations by Venetia Sarll can be found in SP Emma Bowd’s novel The Shoe Princess’s Guide to the Galaxy (Australia; UK).

  ‘A tale of love, friendship and shoes…what more could a girl want?’

COSMOPOLITAN Magazine, June 2009

Ni los elegantes Manolos ni los fabulosos Jimmy Choo… Estas dos firmas han tenido que rendirse ante el éxito que están alcanzando los modelos de Louboutin, zapatos que dan un paso más allá para convertirse en auténticos objetos de coleccionista, obras de arte de la moda especialmente diseñados para los pies más exclusivos. Los de famosas y caprichosas dispuestas a gastarse no menos de 600 € en un par de estos glamourosos zapatos.

Chistian Louboutin es un relevante diseñador de moda francés especializado en calzado femenino que, en tan sólo cuatro años, ha pasado de ser un completo desconocido a convertirse en un destacado y cotizado diseñador presente en los comercios y pasarelas de moda más importantes del mundo. Louboutin estudió en las escuelas de diseño de Chanel y Saint Laurent y abrió su primera tienda en París, donde se hizo conocido por sus exquisitos zapatos y por su sello característico: la suela de color rojo.

Su línea más codiciada y emblemática es la conocida como peep-toes, zapatos con desafiantes tacones (normalmente de aguja y de unos 12 cm.) que combinan diferentes materiales y colores. Por supuesto, también pueden encontrarse modelos de Louboutin planos o de tacón medio. Sus botines destacan por la punta redondeada y las decoraciones con hebillas, cremalleras, tachuelas o botones.

Aprovecho para ofreceros una pequeña muestra de la última campaña publicitaria de Louboutin, en la que el diseñador introduce sus modelos en bodegones pictóricos. Arte y moda unidos en esta sencilla metáfora, con un resultado espectacular.

(Pinchar en las fotos para aumentar)

What’s inflation have to do with the price of my Manolo’s?

Every one of us would like to be able to buy more shoes, clothes, purses, perfume, jewelry and pay less. As a matter of fact, we all probably wish we lived, in the days, when the best the aforementioned could be purchased for a fraction of their cost today, like $5.00 for a fabulous pair of shoes and $50.00 for the best ones that money could buy. How wonderful would it be to purchase the house of your dreams for what it cost to purchase a moderately priced automobile today? What controls prices? What controls how much we have to pay for items or how far our money goes? There are several factors, typically referred to as economic indicators. Depending on how well the country’s economy is determines the price that large businesses have to pay and/or what they charge for products and services. These cost “trickle down” to you and I, the everyday consumer.

First and foremost, our economy is affected by how many services, resources ands goods that we have that can be sold in the foreign market place. The more services, resources and goods ( SRAG) a country sales to other countries, the more solid, stable or prosperous is that country’s economy. Countries that place an emphasis on making humans the best and most viable resource that they have by making sure to provide the best education and training, typically create more solid and prosperous economies and the population provides the economy with the inventors, scientists, investors and workers that are needed to further produce commodities that are desired in the world market as well as provide services much needed services, particularly in other countries focused on economic development.

When a country sales more than it purchases from other countries, typically such countries will strengthen their economic positions, especially if and when they make purchases on the world market, they are purchasing land and other valuable resources from other countries that will have a positive impact on their economies. To the extent that the United States has slowed its sales of products and has allowed its purchases from other countries to increase, our economy has weakened. One way to observe the state of our economy is to observe the stock market, simply check out the gold prices. When the price of gold rises, typically the power of the dollar decreases. As the price of gold decreases, the value of the dollar increases. When the dollar’s value increases, we are able to purchase more on the world market and in turn you and I witness a stabilization in the price of exported SRAG. When the dollar falls continually, the prices for imported SRAG increases for American consumers, thus we experience “inflation”.  We, also experience inflation when our SRAG is desired on the world market due to high demand. Usually, we do not feel this as much because as our SRAG is on demand, here in the United States, companies do better and thus offer more jobs, better wages etc. allowing the American consumer greater earning and  buying power. It is an ongoing cycle.

Indicators to examine:

1. Pay attention to the gold market by staying abreast with the information on the stock market.
2. Watch the Real Estate Market and the growth as it pertains to that industry.
3. Pay attention to what country has the most patents pending, the highest numbers of expected scientists, doctors and technologists graduating from college, the best educational systems.
4. Observe which countries make the most money per person and per capita income which country’s citizens save the most money.
5. Pay close attention to the Eurodollar. It is gaining more and more strength against the USD and let’s you know how well we are doing in comparison to many European countries.

Quote to remember- “Lack of money is the root of all evil, George Bernard Shaw, Irish writer- most famous playwriter since William Shakespeare

Born to a Czech father and a Spanish mother and raised in the Canary Islands, Blahnik graduated from the University of Geneva in 1965 and studied art in Paris. He moved to London in 1968 to work at fashion boutique Zapata and write for Vogue Italia. After showing his portfolio of fashions and set designs to Diana Vreeland, she told him that he should design only footwear. In 1972, Ossie Clark invited him to create shoes for his runway show. With a loan of £2,000, Blahnik bought Zapata from its owner and opened his own boutique. ^[1]

Manolo Blahnik’s flagship store remains to date in Old Church Street, Chelsea London.

Blahnik’s boutiques are located in London, New York, Las Vegas, Dublin, Athens, Madrid, Istanbul, Dubai, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Seoul and Singapore. Bloomingdales (for which he created his first American collection), Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue carry his line in the United States and newly opened in Dubai Mall.

Blahnik was awarded the honorary title of Commander of the British Empire in 2007 for his service to the British fashion industry. According to Wikipedia

Zet eerst even het clipje aan……

Goed zo. Je luistert naar Fergie die een geweldige ode brengt aan haar favoriete schoeisel: Mary Jane Shoes. Nu heeft zij misschien makkelijk praten, want ze kan zich alle muiltjes uit die winkel ook prima veroorloven.

Toch ben ik benieuwd of er nog meer crea bea’s rondlopen die op de een of andere manier een ode kunnen brengen aan hun lievelingsschoenen. Ook al staan die Manolo’s, Louboutin’s of Chanel’s helemaal niet in je kast.

Zelf heb ik al een prachtig nummer geschreven over een Marc Jakobs tas, maar mijn zang is zo schrikbarend sclecht dat ik daar maar geen video van post…..Enniewee, laat je gaan! Wie weet werpt alle lof zijn vruchten wel af en verschijnt dat begeerde paar schoenen toch in je kast. Mocht je geen inspiratie hebben of gewoon niet kunnen zingen/schrijven? Bleer dan nu gewoon lekker mee: whooooaaaaaaaa my Mary Jane’s!!

P.S. Je kan natuurlijk ook gewoon zelf shoppen bij Mary Jane’s. Niet alles kost een rib uit je lijf.

I’m sure everyone knows Lady Gaga’s got fashion whether you like it or not.  Liked that zipper eye she wore on American idol?  I like her fearless style.  Aristist have been known to wear outrageous things.  Sometimes its a hit and others its a miss.  It takes someone fearless to truly find hits.

One thing that I’ve learned from her fashion is who her inspiration is and I think they are awesome.  I’ve been learning a lot about fashion from Lady Gaga.  Funny considering she has a song called fashion where she lists off some of the top designers.  I was kind of clueless before to tell you the truth…I didn’t know what Manolos where besides that they were designer shoes.

There’s Margiela

Like the shoulder pads?

Then there’s Chaylan Have you seen the bubble dress?

Some people have rightly commented that Lady Gaga’s haus created an almost exact replica of the Chaylan dress instead of buying one.  The thing I have to disagree about with this post is that Chaylan did not miss out on publicity.  I found out about it because Lady Gaga’s always saying his name and since I liked the bubble dress I found out who’s idea it was.  And it was a good thing she never claimed it was her idea, or else that really would have been stealing.

The list goes on and on really for designers that I either found out because of her or found out more about them. I’m sure you don’t want an entire list of them.  It would really get ridiculous.  But by learning about designers I’ve found the ones that I like.  I’m sure that will be others that I like, but at least know I can say I have favorites.

And has anyone else noticed that Lady Gaga’s style has been progressing? At first it consisted of catsuits, shoulder pads, head scarves, and no pants stuff with fairly plain designs.  Now she has the zipper eye-star outfit, the prism dress, the black and white lightning dress, the bubble dress, the chrome dress, and who knows what else.

Kagehime

Es innegable que la moda tiene un lugar destacado en la televisión. Grandes diseñadores han consagrado su fama gracias a la aparición de sus creaciones en la pequeña pantalla, pero también hay que reconocer que grandes series han llegado a la fama con la ayuda de esos grandes diseños. 

Ya en su dia, fue Manolo Blahnik quien se vió favorecido por la famosa Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) en la exitosa Sexo en Nueva York, la cual no paraba de gritar a los cuatro vientos su pasión por los “Manolos”. Fue a partir de esta serie cuandolos manolos empezaron a ser conocidos mundialmente y las chicas (de cualquier clase social) ahorraban para poder parecerse a su admirada Carrie. Sexo en Nueva York fue la primera serie que hizo de la moda, su esencia.

A partir de aquí, los grades diseñadores vieron un filón en las series juveniles, pues, sus diseños llegarían de forma masiva a un público que, en teoría, se convertiría en futuros compradores. No fue fácil, pues Sexo en Nueva York dejó marca y no fue hasta esta temporada cuando ha nacido su sucesora (en cuestión de moda).

Veamos; Jóvenes, clase alta neoyorkina, fiestas, sexo, alguna droga que otra, música a todas horas, pases de modelos… ¿es perfecto no? Pues este regalo a los diseñadores viene de la mano de GOSSIP GIRL.

Gossip Girl narra la vida de los jóvenes adolescentes del barrio del Upper East Side de Nueva York, que van a colegios elitistas a la vez que flirtean con drogas, sexo y otros problemas adolescentes. Uniformes al estilo British (ya comentado en este blog) se intercalan con fabulosos vestidos de gala de diseñadores como Valentino, Chanel, Prada e incluso Zara. Sí, el imperio Inditex también llega a la alta sociedad neoyorkina.

Cada capítulo de esta exitosa serie muestra infinidad de modelos de las marcas más prestigiosas. Pero no sólo se centra en las chicas. Los chicos también muestran una forma particular de vestir. Desde Chuck Bass con sus inconfundibles pañuelos y chaquetas, en un estilo señorial; Dan Hunprhey, camisas y chalecos con un cierto estilo despreocupado y el famoso Nate Archibald, preparadamente “casual” pero a la vez elegante.

Es cierto, que en la serie no se comenta abiertamente el nombre de los diseñadores, pero muchas veces eso da igual, ya que hay obras maestras que no hace falta identificar de forma directa.

La importancia de la moda en las series de televisión es cada día mayor. Muchos diseñadores pagarían por aparecer en algún capítulo de las mismas. Un reciente informe de “New York Times” señalaba que las tiendas de los diseñadores que aparecían en la pequeña pantalla habían visto sus visitas multiplicadas tras la aparición de sus diseños en Gossip Girl.

No dejaremos de hablar de esta serie, porque evidenteme la moda está viva en Gossip Girl.

Nate, Serena y Dan

Y aludiendo a la reina cotilla (bloguera por excelencia)…

                        XoXo (Besos y Abrazos) Gossip Girl…

Check out this gorgeous creation by Manolo Blahnik – the heel-less “Arunium”.  The rich brown colour is accented by metal studs that were inspired by Medieval churches.  The middle ages meet the future at the empty wedge heel, apparently “an alternative to the clunky platforms that Blahnik openly despises” (amen).

Via ShoeSmitten.