Coutorture

coutorture — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:20:21 -0700

Believe It: Yves Saint Laurent X Puma

Yves Saint Laurent doesn't have much of a high street collaboration history to speak of but, between the manifesto and Edition Unisex collection, it should come as no surprise that the brand would move in that direction. Following in the footsteps of Alexander McQueen and Sergio Rossi, Stefano Pilati designed a YSL men's shoe for Puma poised to hit shelves any day now. The sneaker, which comes in all-black and brown, blends "Stefano Pilati’s design prowess and the activewear firm’s technical expertise". Click on the title link above to learn more.

Shopping: Sneakers Get Some Height

coutorture — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:11:40 -0700

Clockwise from top left: See by Chloe Lace-Up Platform Sneakers $265 @ Saks Fifth Avenue, Sneaker Pump $180 @ DKNY, Ash Ufo Wedge Sneakers $226 @ shopbop.com, BCBGirls 'Elton' Bootie $88 @ Nordstrom, Viktor & Rolf Rainbow Platforms $783 @ Colette

You could say it became a trend by way of DKNY's sneaker pumps (above) and perhaps Ann Demeulemeester's lace-up wedges. Now that spring footwear is hitting shelves it seems there are plenty of lace-up sneaker heights to choose from. This trend might be loathed by some and loved by others but, regardless, we're just happy that there's some padding in this season's sky-high numbers. A few strips of PVC and a wooden five-inch platform shouldn't be our only option for fabulous super-tall footwear.

coutorture — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:46:56 -0800

A.P.C. x Nike Spring 2009 Drops Today

Looks like French contemporary label, A.P.C., is continuing their relationship with Nike--today marks the launch of their Spring 2009 collaboration with the athletic brand. This season's low-top tennis sneaker (the 1975 All Star) comes in all-white, navy, and red variations and retails for $140. Prior to this, A.P.C. resurrected the Court Tradition sneaker for a Fall 08 breakout collaboration.

Spring Court USA Goes E-Commerce

coutorture — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:04:45 -0800

There's nothing more sensible to us than when a classic brand goes e-commerce. In other words, if people have been wearing the same fashion item for over fifty years--chances are it will do well online. We don't know what makes Spring Court more of a fashion standby--the fact that every tennis player in France used to wear them or that John Lennon donned them on the cover of Abby Road. Regardless, we're happy to see these sneakers are now readily available to just about anyone. Today, Spring Court sneakers come in mens, womens, and kids sizes, and, in a variety of colors and fabrics. Check out their new e-shop right here.

Coutorture Community Must Reads 01/07/09

coutorture — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:32:36 -0800

Frou Frou Fashionista admired a lingerie spread with Dita Von Teese featured in a French magazine called L'Express Styles. Check out the spread right here.

Stained Couture falls for a pair of Supra sneakers that resurrect the classic Timberland aesthetic.

Beauty Secrets Revealed reports on a home remedy for getting rid of acne. It might burn, but it'll work!

Vivienne Westwood dying to partake in the "next" Sex In The City movie? Fabsugar UK reports!

Fashion In 50 Seconds 11/18/08

coutorture — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:50:50 -0800

Last night, Alexander Wang was awarded the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund award, granting him a 200,000 dollar allowance and mentorship for one year. The designers of Vena Cava and Albertus Quartus were the runners up and the two brands were each awarded 50,000 dollars and a business mentor. To see photos from last night's event, click here. To see Alexander Wang's Spring 2009 collection, click here.

A 1980's themed Reebok pop-up has opened on the Bowery in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Reebok pump. Limited edition sneakers will run Reebok fans a mere 90 dollars--not much compared to the competition.

Burberry reports a 13.1 percent increase in profits this half, however, the company articulates their concerns that there is worse to come. Burberry stated that U.S. department stores have unexpectedly decreased their re-orders.

Suzy Menkes reports on the new Yohji Yamamoto flagship recently opened in Paris and the cultivation of a new pocket of cutting edge boutiques in the area.

Rubber Duck Shoes Not Unlike Last Summer's Easys

coutorture — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:06:34 -0700

This isn't the first time a simple canvas shoe has made waves in the fashion community. Rubber Duck, this summer's version of the Easys, Chuck Taylors, or Keds of yesteryear, is being donned by everyone from high-design wearing uptown gals (admittedly, to the grocery store and whatnot) to downtown fashionista's whose wardrobes host a variety of price points. The funny thing, the unsurprising thing, is the discrepancy in price point. Where OAK and Zappos sell their Rubber Duck slip-ons for close to sixty dollars, Shoes.com (thank you for that brilliant name) is retailing them at around half that price. Furthermore, we've seen vendors selling them for twenty on the weekends in Nolita. So, let's just take it in stride. Let's take it as another obvious example of being loyal to a store, not because of their prices, but because of their taste. Let's also take it as an example of the summertime shoe that costs less than a dollar to make, but still lures us in somehow (oh, i'll add these to my shopping cart), time and time again.

Rubber Duck Zebra Espadrille - $52.00	Rubber Duck Stripe Espadrille - $52.00
Rubber Duck Psych Espadrille - $52.00	Rubber Duck - Diana Cheeta (Blazing Yellow) - $46.00

Collab Fad Fatigue

coutorture — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:59:04 -0700

The fashion blogosphere is rife with news about designer sneaker collabos. Truth be told, we've grown a bit weary of the obsession with sneaker culture, but can't help ignore the fact that more and more artists and designers seem to be signing on to create limited edition athletic footwear. The term "running shoe" is perhaps somewhat of a misnomer, as you're unlikely to see these splashy designs on anyone who actually runs. The kids who wear them probably won't be engaging in any activities that'll require the innovative technology touted by the brand as a selling point. Is there money to be made from such ventures? We're hard-pressed to think of anyone who really sports Piet Mondrian-inspired Dunks. So what, exactly, is the point? Perhaps these high-end creations will be pictured in yet another tome on sneaker culture. Very few of them, however, will attain the cult status of a Y-3 or Alexander McQueen among the fashion cognoscenti.

High Snobiety reports on the most recent pairings, including the Hiroshi Fujiwara-designed Nike SB P-Rod 2,
Japanese store Tokishirazu's Starstream, a running shoe in fluo hues created for Mizuno, and Tsimori Chisato and New Balance celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 576 shoe with a pack of two colorful pairs depicting underwater themes. We like these stores and designers, so we'll assume that there's got to be a sound rhyme and reason behind these projects.

Bevans Shoes: Le Scene?

coutorture — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:19:07 -0700

You never know whether something homespun and quirky will catch on with the cool kids. The new "small business turned into a small business", Bevans Shoes, has potential though. Designer (and part-time comedian) Bevan Mahaney started painting on canvas sneakers in Martha's Vineyard before finding representation in New York and making it a real-live business. It's funny that we see these canvas slip ons painted with sharks and lobsters and outerspace depictions, as fitting in seamlessly with both the Martha's Vineyard crowd and the young New York City scene. It's a little bit clam chowda' and woopie pies, a little bit Miranda July and track bikes. The shoes, as they are hand painted, retail for around $100. We're a bit skeptical of this price point, however, we like that for a little bit more, Mahaney will custom paint your shoes. We're thinking if she's able to paint them in the likeness of those Chloe sandals we've had our eye on, we're sold. Either way, this is a prime example of a brand that will thrive on retail representation. If the shoes show up in the right stores, we predict, people won't be able to tell the difference between these, a Corpus sweater, a pair of Acne jeans, or a Commes de Garcon wallet. It's all going to the same place afterall. Namely, Bushwick.

The Next Big Thing: The People's Shoe

coutorture — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:15:44 -0800

So you've got your Easy's, your Chucks, your Toms, and now you've got your People's Shoe. It's just a little canvas and leather, an easy rationalization to have goof-around shoes for less than 50 bucks. So what's the deal with these one's? They're a common shoe for migrant workers in Shanghai and someone was smart enough to import them to hip American kids who'll spend $40 on their basic kicks. The company donates a percentage of their yearly sales to charity (this year to The Starfish Project) and their packaging is green and simple.