Women’s Accessories Fall/Winter 2007/2008 Italian Shoes – The Flying Wedge

We have seen the sexy boots and the Retro Peter Pan boots for the Women’s Fall/Winter 2007/2008 scene. The Décolleté fills the largest segment of the market. The 70s theme finds its way into this year’s design. The platform, or wedge, is the protagonist. These shoes are more comfortable than spikes and women who cannot walk on high, elevated heels can shuffle around on the wedge. The wedge usually includes a platform giving an extra inch or so to even the shortest of legs. All this said when I see them I keep expecting a jet engine to fire up and to see these babies take flight pulling the unsuspecting passenger flopping into the air.

Wedges are too heavy. They may be light as a feather but they seem to increase the mass of the foot destroying the perfect balance of the female body. Alas, they are the latest thing. Women are already clumping down the streets of Milan. Fratelli Rossetti makes the platform wedge in the lead photo. Suede is very big both in the wedges and tradition spikes this year. He adds a neatly pressed bow and bright colors. They can be found in Milan for 280 Euro.

Rossetti also remembers some of its more classical customers with a patent leather with reverse stitching 9 centimeter heel. An ankle belt adds a hint of aggressive while serving to hold the foot in place keeping the heel from slipping into the front of the shoe. The classier design is not more expensive coming in at 280 Euro like its stealth bomber counterpart.

You and Me stays with the suede look. They offer a 10 centimeter spike with embellished borders and a patent leather ankle belt. You and Me prices much less than the Rossetti at only 150 Euro.

Vic Matie’ combines the design of the classical spike with the 70s wedge. The polished leather shoe with a 10 centimeter spherical heel sits on top of a 3 centimeter platform. To limit slipping and sliding while walking on air the sole is slightly ridged to give greater traction. The Vic Matie’ prices at 199 Euro.

Vicini presents a shoe that could easily be a design from the storage warehouse. Suede leather with reverse stitching make this a “That’s 70s show” favorite. This is a full wedge with a foam sole.

Tags: Italian Fashion Italian Designers Fall Fashion Shoes Womens Fashion Travel Italy

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Women’s Accessories Fall/Winter 2007/2008 Italian Shoes – Retro Peter Pan Boots

Fashion on the streets often surprises the experts. Without a doubt most designs by the established stylists are successes. This only accounts for about 10% of the fashion scene. The other 90% decides what will be hot and what is not. Fashion in the street, many years, is just outside of my capabilities to comprehend. As a mortal man I subject my opinion to my goddess. If she says it is a must have I can only agree. I think over the years she has learned how not to hurt my feelings. She knows what I like and what I abhor. She will find what she likes and not express a strong opinion.

This is the case with the Retro Peter Pan boots making their appearance in the offices. The only things missing from these babies are the floppy wings that make the collar. What I find most interesting is that the designers consider this style “masculine!” Perhaps in the days of Men at Work someone would have considered these masculine but “not on my watch, Mr. Tibbs.”

I usually do not include prices but with the Internet you may be able to find some of these boots online or in your local store. In Italy, all prices include a 20% Ad Valorum Tax. The price you see is the price you pay.

The shoes in lead photograph are Lea Foscati. Polished leather, buttons, belt and 9 centimeter spikes are the characteristics. Currently you can find them in Milan for 159 Euro.

Furla also includes the side buttons. Patent leather, in various primary colors and 10 centimeter square spikes define these shoes. They are more expensive at 340 Euro.

Janet & Janet makes the Peter Pan par excellence. They are round top cut with a frontal zipper to avoid slipping on the 8 centimeter heels. They can be picked up for just 155 Euro.

Kalliste’ also uses the front zipper. They are also interesting because of the patent leather with suede insets. The 9 centimeter spikes are nice. The colors offered are quite unique. In the photograph the shoes are between Acqua Marine and Forest Green. They can be picked up for 274 Euro.

Roberto De Carlo must have been doing something or someone when he chose the colors for this one. I am not sure if it is Hot Pink or Blood Purple. Either way you can find these expressions of the imaginary mind for 290 Euro.

Tags: Italian Fashion Italian Designers Fall Fashion Shoes Womens Fashion Travel Italy

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Women’s Accessories Fall/Winter 2007/2008 Italian Boots

Micam, the Shoe Fair in Milan, has barely closed its doors. Women in Milan are sporting their Fall/Winter foot apparel. Several tendencies seem to be winning the hearts and feet of women everywhere. They are boots, retro Peter Pan and Lifted Décolleté. The passion of my soul prefers the retro Peter Pan boots. I prefer the boots. As long as the boots are not of the goulash variety, boots add a naughty hint of playfulness.

The lead photo are polished leather with suede inserts. They can be found at Pollini.

Roberto de Carlo presents soft suede and 8 centimeter heels.

Suede is also the material of choice for Cesare Paciotti. Finishing touches are patent leather belt and 11 centimeter spikes.

The Les Tropeziennes are my least favourite but I find the wrapped string an interesting touch.

Polished leather, ankle belt, 8 centimeter heels and a 1 centimeter platform are the traits of Angela Inqueti.

If you cannot find them at your local store and Milan is too far away try my sponsor Forzieri. While these boots may not be immediately available they may have them later in the year.

Tags: Italian Fashion Italian Shoes Italian Boots Italian Designers Fall Fashion Ferre Womens Fashion Travel Italy

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MICAM – The Shoe Event in the City of Fashion

September begins the season of tradeshows. Hotels with available rooms are hard to find, restaurants booked, and life is very busy. Milan is the center of Fashion. The first place to see the new styles that will shape the future seasons. The stores in Milan offer the latest and greatest but there is a way to get a jumpstart on even the trendiest stores. MICAM, the shoe fair, opens on the 20th and runs through the 23rd of September. The shoe fair is only open to those who work in the industry and requires online pre-qualification but if you have anything to do with a retail store and can get someone to vouch for you this is the best way to get those great spikes at least a season before anyone else.

The show is laid out by market segment. Entire buildings dedicated to just one theme. This year’s themes are:

Women’s sophisticated shoes
Women’s trendy shoes
Men/Women luxury shoes
Mixed shoes
Young Fashion shoes
Accessories

MICAM ShoeEvent, the Milan exhibition for top- and middle/top-of-the-range footwear, confirms its position as the largest international fair for this sector. It attracted some 42,879 visitors of whom 21,589 came from abroad. The fair covers 730,000 square feet in 8 separate pavilions. There are 1,650, 1,100 Italian and 550 foreign, manufacturers are present.

Tags: Italian Fashion Shows Shoes Milan Women's Fashion Travel Italy

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Aldo Coppola – Hair Stylist for the Fashion Shows of Milan

Milan is the perfect destination for those interested in meeting people in the fashion industry. On any given day in the city of Milan you can bump into more or less famous models, model wannabees, fashion designers and America’s famous of the big and small screen. In Milan you can find the best artisans and quality products from the world of fashion. This includes the hair stylists who care for the stars. The best of the best is Aldo Coppola.


Coppola is the solution when all others fail. When the dye ruins your hair or a cut goes terribly bad then Coppola is the Answer. Raffaella swears by Coppola. She has her own personal favorite stylist and will wait several weeks for an appointment. Lorenzo travels with the fashion shows around the world turning every model into a diva. He can do the same for you. He will give you that next season look before others know it is about to happen.

Aldo Coppola is about artistic creation supported by technical competency. Coppola employs the best stylists and maintains a rigorous apprenticeship program. They start getting coffee for clients and work through years of apprenticeship. He takes only the best and somehow is capable of keeping them their. Even when a stylist leaves Coppola to start their own business they still refer to his shop in Milan as Number One.

Aldo Coppola has locations in the major cities in Italy but the original and the best is in Milan. They can do miracles and even the normal appointment is an experience in high fashion. You would think this is expensive and they do charge about 20% more than other stylists but it is well worth the money. Coppola is busy and cannot take walk-in appointments but call a couple of weeks in advance or have the hotel book for you. Plan to spend a couple of hours. It will be a pleasant voyage of self-indulgence. You will be pampered, primped and treated like a queen. Remember the idea of coffee, cappuccino and/or a glass of wine while visiting an establishment is a century old tradition.

There are numerous Coppola shops in franchising. In Milan you want to go to the original in Corso Garibaldi.

Tags: Women's Fashion Italian Designers Shopping Milan Hairstyles Fashion Travel Italy

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Car Shoe – Travel shoes by Prada opens in Capri

A passion for motor sports nurtured by an artisan shoemaker led to one of the most comfortable and now prestigious shoes available today. Gianni Mostile handcrafted shoes in the town of Vigevano, outside of Milan. In 1963 his two passions came together to create a business. Hand sewn moccasins, made of the finest leather, with a rubber sole designed to give the driver maximum comfort and control while driving. The shoes are favorites among world’s elite including Gianni Agnelli, JFK and Roberto Rossellini. The company was bought just a few year’s ago by Prada and most recently has moved from Via della Spiga 50 to Via della Spiga 1.


What I found most interesting is that while the shoes are comfortable, the most important thing in this latest press release about the opening of a flagship store in Capri is the store’s design. The newly opened store has the exact same design and architecture as the store in Milan.

What may be so interesting about that?

Perhaps it is a recreation of the Castle of Monza, or perhaps the Basilica of Florence?

Unfortunately it is merely designed to have the feel of the interior of a car. The two primary windows have the front and back of a touring rally car from the 60s.

Perhaps I am just over sensitized to the superficial recreation of this or that look. I am forever reminded of the Las Vegas Venetian and its 12$ a pop ride on a Gondola. Located on the top floor of a shopping area with the star painted ceiling to recreate romantic ride in the Laguna in the post dusk evening. People actually stand in line to ride this thing… I am fairly confident that “Car Shoe” of Capri will not be remembered for the very comfortable driving shoes it produces instead for the mock version of the race car sitting in the window.

Tags: Italian Shopping Shoes Milan Capri Travel Italy

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Shopping in Milan – A quick guide

The most important city of northern Italy, capital of the province and of the Lombard region, Milan stands at the center of the Padana Plain between the pre-Alps and the Po, and between the Adda and the Ticino rivers. A financial and economic capital as well as major political and cultural center, it is the second most populous city in Italy, with 1,371,000 inhabitants.

Milan is a hub of European industry, with its concentration of major Italian companies. It holds the lead in volume of commercial activity. With its favorable geographic location, Milan is a communications center of great importance. Extending out from the city are train lines and national and international highways. But Milan is not just economics it is also fashion.

In Milan the latest and greatest fashion is available, sometimes a year, ahead of the other major Italian cities and as much as two years ahead of the provinces. The world has become much smaller since the advent of widespread air travel fashion moves around the world much faster but, if you are in Italy and you love to dress well, a stop in Milan is a must. You can get your fix at some of the more famous designer shops.

Clothing and Accessories

Armani, via Durini 24, via Sant' Andrea 9;
Basile, via Monteleone 27;
Chanel, via S. Andrea 10/A;
Dolce & Gabbana, via della Spiga 2;
Enrico Coveri, corso Matteotti 12;
Fendi, via Sant' Andrea 16;
Fiorucci Store, galleria Passerella 1;
Gianfranco Ferrè, via della Spiga 11;
Gucci, via Monleone 5;
Kenzo, via Sant' Andrea 11;
Krizia, via della Spiga 23;
Laura Ashley, via Brera 4;
Laura Biagiotti, via Borgospesso 19;
Les Copains, via Montenapoleone 2;
Max Mara, corso Emanuele;
Mila Schon, via Montenapoleone 2;
Missoni, via Sant' Andrea 9, piazza Duomo 21;
Moschino, via Sant' Andrea 12;
Pierre Cardin, via Verri 6;
Romeo Gigli, corso Venezia 11;
Ungaro, via Montenapoleone 27;
Valentino, via Santo Spirito 3;
Versace, via Montenapoleone 11;
Yves Saint Laurent, via Verri 8.

Shoes, shoes and more shoes

Bally, via Montenapoleone 8;
Diego Della Valle, via della Spiga 22;
Salvatore Ferragamo , v. Montenapoleone ang. v. Borgospesso;
Fratelli Rossetti, via Montenapoleone 1;
La Vetrina di Baryl, via Statuto 4;
Magli, corso V. Emanuele ang. v. S. Paolo;
Marilena, via Tornio 13; Pollini, corso V. Emanuele II 30;
Sergio Rossi, via della Spiga 15;
Teras, via Torino ang. v. Lupetta;
Vergelio, corso Vittorio Emanuele 10;
Vierre, via Montenapoleone 27.

Jewelry

Agalma, via S. Tommaso 8;
Bernasconi, galleria V. Emanuele II, 33/35;
Buccellati, via Montenapoleone 4;
Bulgari, via della Spiga 6;
Cartier, via Montenapoleone 16;
Cusi, via Montenapoleone 21/A;
Faraone Tiffany, via Montenapoleone 7/A;
Pomellato, via San Pietro all' Orto;
Romani Adami, via Bagutta 3;
Scav, via della Spiga 9;
Schreiber, via Manzoni 40.

Tags: Shopping Milano Milan Shoes Fashion Travel Lombardia Italy

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Shopping – It’s Christmas Time?

The retail corporations in the US have decided that Christmas starts early this year. Oil and gas prices are up and this will cause an increase in our heating bills, leaving less disposable income. Since corporate America does not value our intellectual capacity they have decided to advertise their goods now so that we will spend our money before we get our first heating bill…

Just in case you want to take a trip to Italy to shop or just happen to already be there for other reasons I wanted to indicate a few alternatives.


Italy is the center of the fashion world. Many in the world may disagree, thinking that France holds that title, but I can assure you that Italy, in particular Milano, is the center of the world for clothes designers. In the early 80s I worked with a then little known, Gianni Versace; he had all of 6 people in his office in Milan. I was writing graphics software that would overlay different materials and designs onto a picture that had been captured by a camera. Today it is no big deal but then it was pretty leading edge stuff.

During this time I had the opportunity to meet and speak with various designers and attend numerous fashion shows. They are pretty wild!

In each city I have a store that specializes in something that I really liked, Milano for suits, Como for overcoats, Shoes just about anywhere, Shirts in Milano and Rome, Ties in Naples and Socks in Senigallia. This is not to say that each city does not have marvelous places for each one of these items just, that I have my own places, where I know the people that I like to shop. They take care of me very well and I think they will do the same for you.

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Rome – Need a Christmas Gift

“Gianluca, we need to stop in at Claudia Baglioni’s store before she closes. I called her and she will wait for us but we need to go now,” I called out to Gianluca as soon as Raffaella left the room.

“Ahhh, Mr. Anderson, you did not forget your anniversary,” Gianluca replied slyly.

I believe everyone is convinced that I get so caught up in the company that I forget everything else but I had been waiting for this for some time. Claudia has a small store in via Baullari, next to Campo dei Fiori. She is from one of the oldest families of Gioiellieri in Rome and has this little hole in the wall place that barely fits 3 people inside however its not the store that counts but the merchandise.

Gioielleria Baglioni has served many of the Italian noble families. Over the years they have purchased jewels and then sold the jewels as times have changed. In some cases the pieces are authentic masterpieces from a different era. For whatever the reason the Gioielleria Baglioni has some of the most unique pieces I have ever seen. Obviously she has the some of the modern jewelry and numerous watches but the real treasure that can be found here are the one of a kind pieces, many antique, that you can give knowing that no one else will be wearing anything similar. Both Raffaella and I stop in, sometimes just to say hi, on way here or there.

Since one of my passions is cufflinks, Raffaella has an easy out for any gift occasion. My job is somewhat more difficult, the scope is not difficult but the choice can be somewhat daunting. I asked, during our first year together, whether she preferred diamonds or pearls. I was thinking, “ok, let’s get an indication for gifts over the next 10 years.”

Her response was so quick it surprised me. With a gleam in her beautiful green eyes she responded without hesitation, “Both!”

Claudia Baglioni was my savior. I do not like fake things, plated is fake, 14k is fake, I prefer smaller but real through and through. Everyone can buy a Rolex or some gold collier but antique jewels, now that is something a bit more difficult. Recently Raffaella and I took a trip to Las Vegas; we stayed at the Venetian. The hotel was beautiful and the workmanship was excellent. As part of the experience we took the 5$ gondola ride. I can honestly say that it was pretty neat however, I would not take it a second time. We both love Venice and have visited often, every time we go we take a gondola or motorboat. We never get bored and continuously see something we had not seen the time before. The weather is different, the boat sways to and fro according to the tides and the weather, the light is different, the people we encounter have different personalities and each trip is unique. Costume jewelry is like the gondola ride in Vegas, great once, even fun, but not something you would want as part of your life on a regular basis.

I must disclose, Claudia has found many things for me including Raffaella’s engagement and wedding rings. The engagement ring took almost two years, I indicated the kind of diamond I was looking for, cut, color, brilliance and size and in time she found the perfect diamond. She then allowed me to choose the ring from numerous vendors, even though her family produced extremely high quality pieces of their own.

They then set the diamond and worked discretely to get the perfect size, not ½ size or best match, they fit the ring to Raffaella’s finger.

I have purchased jewelry for pleasure and for investment. The VanCleef & Arpels and the Burmian Ruby princess collier from the late 1800’s are examples of some of the interesting things that Baglioni can offer, obviously not those pieces because they are mine, but other very unique pieces. If you are in Rome, pay a visit to Claudia Baglioni in via dei Baullari and send “best wishes” from David and Raffaella. You will be pleased with your adventure.

Tags: Jewelry Rome Lazio Fashion Travel Italy

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Shopping

- Christmas Time?
- Merry Christmas?
- Hand Made Nativity Scenes in Terracotta by Angela Tripi

- Ceramics from Caltagirone (PA)– Artisan work’s of Art and Passion
- Pizzi di Burano (VE) – Linens and Lace Burano Venice

Bologna

Cagliari

Catania

Como

Florence

Genova

Milan
- Shopping in Milan - A quick Guide
- Mariella Burani
- Aldo Coppola – Hair Stylist for the Fashion Shows of Milan

Naples
- Italian Nativity Scenes

Palermo
- Hand Made Nativity Scenes in Terracotta by Angela Tripi

Rome
- Gioielleria Baglioni

Torino
- Turin means Chocolate

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