Friday Fun of The Footwear Kind

Hello-Hello, happy almost-weekend to all of our treasured readers. We are ready for a spot of Friday fun and hope you are too.

We begin with what sounds like a fabulous show at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, “Shoe Obsession”.  Look at this Ferragamo stunner.

Via ArtInfo.com

The exhibition opened on the 8th of this month, with more than 150 pairs of amazing shoes.  We’ll look at some of the more wearable styles first, this is a 2008 Manolo Blahnik.

Via ArtInfo.com

The studded ‘Pigalle’ by Christian Louboutin.

Via ArtInfo.com

It’s unclear how wearable these would have been, they are from Tom Ford’s spring 2012 collection.

Via ArtInfo.com

This is like a work of art, the “Poisonneuse” sandal by Gianluca Tamburini.

Via ArtInfo.com

According to the FIT show notes the number of shoes women own has doubled since the late 1990s, we now average twenty pairs. Gosh….really? (Cough-cough.)

More about the interest in footwear from the FIT:

Shoe departments everywhere have expanded, as the “great designer shoe wars” have escalated.  New high-end brands—like Nicholas Kirkwood and Charlotte Olympia—are moving onto designer shoe floors to share space with perennial bestsellers, such as Blahnik and Louboutin. Established designer shoes brands, including Salvatore Ferragamo and Roger Vivier, are also thriving under new creative direction.

Now for some that don’t look like they were really meant to be worn, below we see Masaya Kushino’s “Lung-ta,” that translates to “horse of wind”.

Sak’s POV Blog

It turns out someone did wear them, as seen in a post at Seek Shoes Online.

Via Seek Shoes Online

Here is another pair that was worn, the “Lady Pointe Shoes” made for Lady Gaga by NoritakaTatehana.

Via Design Boom

They were actually worn in the singer’s “Marry the night” music video.

‘Marry the Night’ music video via Design Boom

A Prada style from spring of last year, the brand did an entire collection inspired by classic American automobiles.

Via ArtInfo.com

And once again, the shoes were worn.

Via Style Forum

Wow.

The show runs through April 18, it looks like it would be great fun to see. Read more about it at the FIT site, or visit the Saks blog, POV, they did a post on the exhibit here.

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Today’s other fun topic involves Sunday’s Big Event. (The Academy Awards.) Our pals across the pond at The Telegraph have put together a slide show of the 25 Best Oscar Dresses of All Time, and I wasted an extraordinary amount of time looking at each and every one made a quick flip through the photos.  Remember Julia Roberts in her vintage Valentino? (1999, Erin Brockovich.)

Via The Telegraph

Or that petal pink Ralph Lauren worn by Gwyneth Paltrow in 1999? (The year she won for Shakespeare in Love.)

Via The Telegraph

Elizabeth Taylor wore Christian Dior in 1960.

Via The Telegraph

It’s a fun compilation, although an awful lot of the frocks are quite recent, we’re not entirely in sync with many of the choices.  Here’s a link to the entire piece.

We’ll see you next week, may your weekends be fun and fabulous!

“The Princess Principle”, Blake Lively Gets Carried Away & Petunia the Preppy Pig

Hello-Hello, and welcome to a Thursday here in the corner condo at the Prepatorium, where we are buried in work, so today’s nattering on post is ever-so-short.

Today we share news of multiple Princess appearances that we thought you might enjoy, beginning with Her Serene Highness, Charlene of Monaco. She and Prince Albert have been on this side of the pond, below left we see them at the Princess Grace Awards gala Monday and the opening of the “Grace Kelly: From Movie Star to Princess” exhibition in Toronto last night.

/Reuters & /Reuters

The Awards honor emerging talents in the arts, including film, dance and theater. Below we see the Monaco royals with Dame Julie Andrews, who received special honors, and Anne Hathaway, both of whom actually played princesses on the big screen.

Lucas Jackson/Reuters

The exhibit in Toronto doesn’t open to the public until tomorrow, but it looks impressive.

John Rieti/CBC

That exhibit features many of the late Princess’s original dresses, including a special look at her wedding gown.

John Rieti/CBC (L) & AFP/Getty (R) via CBC

How dreamy would this one be to visit in person? Field trip anyone?

Also out and about yesterday, the former Kate Middleton, now formally known as the Duchess of Cambridge.

© UNICEF 2011/Jan Grarup

She and Prince William were in Copenhagen, hoping to draw attention to the crisis in East Africa. They joined Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary for a visit to UNICEF‘s warehouse, it is the organization’s supply chain headquarters.

© UNICEF 2011/Jan Grarup

The couple is taking a page from the Brangelina playbook as noted by Lisa on Twitter yesterday.

EastAfricaCrisis.org

Their capacity to do good by shining a light on specific causes and needs is substantial, their first such endeavor is the East Africa Crisis, where malnutrition and starvation have reached epic levels. (If interested in more on the visit, our sister blog is What Kate Wore.)

We leave this segment with a snippet of a piece in the Times last month, “The Princess Principle”

Every woman has had a princess moment in her life. But even if most of us have put away our tiaras, we still want to feel like princesses, or even queens, when we get dressed.

The piece by Jessica Michault was written in conjunction with fashion week, but it certainly has merit for many, no? Is the “Princess Principle” something that rings true, or is it passé in this day and age, simply not realistic in the hectic, crazy-busy real world?

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Our final tidbit involves Christian Louboutin and Gossip Girl star Blake Lively, below we see her being carried by the shoe maestro at Tuesday’s party. (Note the rather… ah, ‘strategically placed’ handbag. Yikes!)

Splash/The Daily Mail

That was at was the big do at Barneys celebrating the shoe designer’s 20th anniversary and book launch.  Below, the limited edition pump being sold exclusively at Barneys, the ‘Highness 160’. (We are trying to stick with that royals theme, after all.)

Barneys New York

It is a very limited edition indeed, only twenty pair are being sold. If interested, hold onto your pocketbooks, they are $3995.

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We leave you with a seasonal item from an upcoming holiday; meet Petunia, I am calling her the ‘preppy glass pig.’

Artful Home

Petunia is just one of many handmade glass Christmas ornaments at Artful Home, we may showcase others moving forward. Doesn’t everyone need a pink and green pig? 🙂

Brooks Brothers Online Outlet & “High Society”

Hello-Hello, welcome to a Wednesday.

In honor of the warming temps here at the Prepatorium we share a few looks from the Brooks Brothers spring/summer collection.

This seems to be the navy sleeveless wrap dress in the photo on the right.

Brooks Brothers

The images immediately below are all clickable if any of the styles are intriguing.

We do like most of the madras pieces shown for men.

The Black Fleece items are always… interesting. The spring styles seem much more wearable than Thom Browne’s previous collections.

Certain motifs work better on the ladies than they do on the gentlemen.

Indeed.

Perhaps of greater interest, word the retailer will be offering merchandise in a new format; more from a late February WWD story:

“eBay also is creating an online outlet mall for the U.S. with some well-known retail and apparel brands. Lord & Taylor’s outlet division is already on board and Brooks Brothers will be added next month.”

This one may hold promise for those seeking outlet mall price point without having to make a trip to said outlet.We’ll let you know when the site is live.

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Next on today’s agenda: High Society. We are not talking about this version.

We refer to this incarnation.

Courtesy the CW

Debuting a week from tonight, the show is launching on the CW; the network’s blog describes the program:

“HIGH SOCIETY follows Tinsley Mortimer, New York’s most talked-about “Park Avenue Princess,” as she and her circle of often-controversial friends circulate through New York’s most prestigious black-tie affairs, outrageous parties and fashion exclusives, with never-before-seen access from behind the velvet rope.”

Or, as the New York Tix blog says:

““Jersey Shore,” look behind you. “The Real World,” step up the pace. “Dancing with the Stars,” watch your step. A new breed of reality show is coming to town, and it’s the New York bluebloods who will be in the spotlight. And no, it’s not “Gossip Girl”: This is the real deal.
Premiering March 10 on the CW, “High Society” looks at the infighting, cat-fighting and general, well, fighting, of a group of upper-crust society ladies.”

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We close with two more quick items. First, yet another in the ever-growing list of Gossip Girl magazine covers, this time Jessica Szohr showcases the April issue of Lucky.

Lucky Magazine

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Second, a sorta’-kinda’-maybe-not-really Pretty in Pink.  Meet the Christian Louboutin Barbie 2.0. (That’s our name for it.)

Net-a-Porter

The official title is Dolly Forever Barbie, we love the miniature shoes that come with the doll.

But the life-size version is much more fun.

Saks Fifth Avenue

Until next time!

PHOTO CREDIT:

George Chinsee/Brooks Brothers Spring Collection

A Gossip Girl on the Worst Dressed Lists, SATC 2, Pink & Green Whales You’ll Love

Hello-Hello, and welcome to a Thursday!

There is so much happening on the Preppy Planet, it is hard to know where to begin. We’ll start today with the tale of a star from faux-prep school show Gossip Girl being excoriated by many of the fashion press and bloggerati.

It seems Leighton Meester’s wardrobe selections this past year do not meet with their approval.

Photo: REX Features

Some readers may recognize this as the wretched outfit we shared in a November post, and to be fair, we were not complimentary about the style.  But now Miss Meester has been declared the Worst Dressed of 2009 by our friends across the pond at Marie Claire UK. From the magazine’s website:

“Now this makes us sad. One of our favourite girl crushes, Leighton Meester usually gets it so right in the style stakes, but so didn’t when she threw together this fashion car crash of an ensemble. In her efforts to launch a solo pop career, it looks as though the Gossip Girl decided a complete image overhaul was necessary – perhaps to distance herself from the preppy on-screen style of her GG alter-ego.”

Ouch.

Yesterday Fashionista posted “An Open Letter to Leighton Meester“:

“Dear Leighton,

So maybe we’re used to you oozing Upper East Side debutante in Blair’s Ralph Lauren pea coats and Nanette Lepore frocks, and we are open to change, but we’ve really started to worry about your recent choice of outfits.”

The letter was accompanied by this collage of offending outfits:

Courtesy Fashionista.com

In November the Fashion Police dedicated this post to their concerns over the young star’s sartorial selections.  And that was before this outfit from the KIIS-FM Jingle Ball in Los Angeles earlier this month.

Or this one from Saturday’s Z100 Jingle Ball in the city.

Photo Agency

Us magazine places Miss Meester second on their list of 2009’s Worst Dressed Stars.  The outfit they use to make their point is below, worn by the young actress and singer to the Met Costume Gala in May.

Photo: Getty Images

While we may not be fond (ahem) of Ms. Meester’s wardrobe choices, we do applaud the young lady’s spunky approach and her refusal to be chastened by fashion writers and critics.

Ms. Meester is not the only G2 star on the Us Magazine hit parade; Taylor Momsen is also included.

George Napolitano/Getty Images For Giuseppe Zanotti

Indeed.

Speaking of Gossip Girl, WWD (Women’s Wear Daily, subscription req’d.) reports that the next real-life fashionista appearing on the show is Teen Vogue editor Amy Astley. From WWD‘s story:

“…. spent Tuesday with Blake Lively and company on location at the IAC building filming a scene for the CW soap that is tentatively slated to air in March.”

Ms. Astley can be seen on the far right in the photo below, taken in September at the Clinique Fresh Faces Tour kickoff, a promotional event put together by Teen Vogue, and featuring Taylor Momsen.

Mark Von Holden/Getty Images

That concludes today’s Gossip Girl fashion-related report. (Heh-heh-heh.)

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Also fashion-related, the Sex and the City 2 poster has been released, providing a peek into the design aesthetic for the upcoming movie.

“SATC 2: Carrie On” is slated for release May 28, 2010.  Sarah Jessica Parker wears a dress from the spring 2010 Halston Heritage collection, Christian Louboutin Pigalle Gold Sequinned Pumps, and she carries a Chanel clutch.  Here is a closer look at the pumps with black sequins.

Also debuting next spring, Candace Bushnell’s The Carrie Diaries, introducing readers to Carrie in her teen years.

The book is scheduled for release April 27.

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We close with our very favorite new item here at the Prepatorium, it just arrived Tuesday and we couldn’t wait to share!

PreppyPrincess.com

The Pink Whales Bag has a drawstring closure in bright pink, making it casual and easy to carry. It is very durable. and perfect for your little one to use as a laundry bag, to tote their toys or goodies to a sleepover, and more.

The closer look also shows the bag’s two other patterns, Pink Funkier Monkey and Blue Funkier Monkey.

With that cheery image we say g’bye until next time, may everyone enjoy a relatively calm Thursday!

Jack Rogers Plans Huge Expansion

Hello-Hello everyone!

We start with news about a favored brand that is expanding their product offerings. Serious expansion. We’re talking about Jack Rogers, makers of the ubiquitous Navajo sandal seen below.

PHOTO: Thomas Iannaccone/WWD

For those not familiar with the footwear, here is a brief explainer from this story in WWD:

“In resort towns like East Hampton and Nantucket, the Jack Rogers Navajo sandal has for decades been as much a part of the scene as tennis skirts and tunics. In the Sixties, the sandal was popularized by Jackie Kennedy.”

Those paying close attention to that photo probably already noticed something else: the new Jack Rogers slim ballet flat. Below we see another version of their new flat.

PHOTO: Thomas Iannaccone/WWD

But new footwear isn’t the only thing on the drawing board for the company.  This story from Women’s Wear Daily (subscription req’d.) offers more information about plans for the Jack Rogers brand:

“…sportswear, dresses, handbags, shoes, boots and a wider selection of sandals, and the first Jack Rogers retail stores, for the upcoming resort and spring seasons.”

The new merchandise will be available at Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, along with 400 independent boutiques already selling the brand; the plan is to expand this footprint to include:

“…Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and other stores. Trousers, priced at retail at $170; cotton sundresses, $168 to $200; woven dress shirts, $148, and closed-toe shoes, generally $129 to $189, are among the items being offered. There will be also be some handmade, detailed ballet flats and items in more expensive skins, priced at $225. Shorts, T-shirts, purses, totes, clutches, jelly sandals, driving shoes, boots and moccasins are also being designed.”

On a personal level this is splendid news. But from a business perspective we are reminded of many recent brand extensions that have not fared well, many with disastrous results. The failed Ruehl stores Abercrombie opened so quickly come to mind, as do the continuing rumors that Crocs, following explosive growth, could soon file bankruptcy. Even smaller efforts like the Oilily expansion into the US was not successful.

However, there are several executives at Jack Rogers who possess solid resumes with experience at firms like Polo Ralph Lauren, Gap and Tory Burch. This leads us to hope that the broad brand extensions of the kind detailed above prove to be the exception, rather than the rule.  When we see the word ‘jelly sandals’ included in the new product line we cringe more than just a little.

Wondering where the new Jack Rogers stores might be going…?

“…. the first expected to open around February 2010 in Manhattan, followed by units in the Hamptons, and Palm Beach or Bal Harbour, Fla.”

We know quite a few folks who will be pleased with this news. Are you excited by the news? And thoughts on Jack Rogers Jellies?

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We close with a fun tidbit we saw on British Vogue’s site, news that Christian Louboutin has teamed up with Ladurée, the famed French macaroon and pastry house.

Courtesy Ladurée via Vogue UK

The luxury shoe designer has created special boxes for all those delicious goodies, they will be available in the UK this September, no word yet on the possibility of anyone on this side of the pond being able to purchase the designs.