May 2007 Archives

Some days in New York you wander around town; maybe with a friend, maybe alone. You're not looking to buy anything or go anywhere in particular, you're just looking. It's more about exploring new neighborhoods than consuming. Those are always the days you strike gold.

Exhibit A: A sexy pink pair of vintage Yves Saint Laurent wedges. I found them huddling, like a neglected pet, in the corner of a vintage store on the Lower East Side, six or so years ago. As you can see, they are very shy, despite their bright color. I gently picked them up, and dusted them off. I wasn't surprised they fit perfectly.

Today marks the begining of a new project, which I have been hoping to get to for some time. I am cataloguing all my shoes, and trying to place them in the context of my life. Crazy? Probably. But I have a lot of really beautiful pairs that rarely get to see the light of day. Maybe a coupld people will find it somewhat interesting.

To celebrate, I have chosen a very special pair to be first. These crazy Miu Miu heels were purchased in the winter of 2004, at the Space outlet in Cabazon, CA. I had just met RC. We had been dating for three months or so and he took me away to the desert for New Years. It was very romantic. I also knew we were destined for a long and happy life together when he suggested we stop at the outlets on the way to Desert Hot Springs.

The shoes, like new love, are beautiful, fun, and completely unpractical. I have worn them once. They have a fat front platform, strange pencil heels, and are a ridiculous, rich shade of purple. And the straps around the ankles are snug. Wood, fabric and rubber, you name it, they've got it. But I love them for all those reasons.

I am a huge TV geek, and for me this week is just as exciting at the Oscars- it's the upfronts. For the two of you who read this blog, the upfronts are when the major broadcast networks present their fall schedules to advertisers. It is a glimpse of what we, TV geeks, will be talking about in the fall. Last year was particularly exciting, since a bunch of my friends actually were PART of the upfronts. It was awesome.

And with the upfronts now comes Virginia Heffernan's upfronts blog. It makes me so happy. She is probably my favorite critic out there. She believes in the power of good TV, and she is the only critic I can think of who I always agree with. And, I think she might single handedly have saved "Friday Night Lights." God bless you, Virginia.

Anyway, check out her blog here

The news came yesterday afternoon that Isabella Blow died. She was only 48, but she was one of those great fashion eccentrics who seem to have always been. She was ageless that way.

I learned about her when I lived in London. Once I saw her on the street. She was really hard to miss with her sharp features and of course, the amazing hat. She was the fashion world's version of Peggy Guggenheim in that she was all about discovering amazing new talent. Fashion for her did not seem to be about parties and glitz, the Hollywood version. It was about the amazing transformative effect, the art, of clothes. And she was the boldest of the bold.

For more, read about her here. Nothing I can say can truly do her justice.

I have a pair of Munoz Vrandaecics, and they are tearing me apart.

What are Munoz Vrandecics? At first glance you might believe I am suffereing from a rare eastern European disease. And you wouldn't be that wrong. Munoz Vrandecic is a shoe, furniture and bag label from Barcelona, Spain. Munoz, according to what may be misinformation dug up on the web, is an engraver who teaches college, and Vrandecic is his wife, an artist. Together they make a very limited number of shoes, bags, jewelry and furniture. The shoes are made by hand, of wood and leather with brass nails. They are basically works of art, and supposedly become more beautiful as you wear them.

I got mine about three years ago, at a Jeffrey sale, when they were marked down a lot. I believed, when I met them, that I had found a true sole mate (I am so sorry about that, I couldn't help it.) But it was not to be. I wore them exactly once, before relagating them to the bin under my bed. You know the story, girl meets shoe, girl loves shoe, girl buys shoe, shoe hurts girl. They had hurt me, hurt me bad, and like a spurned lover, I cast them aside. For, dear reader, they had given me the worst blisters I had ever had in my entire life, and as a flat footed person, I know blisters. They tore a hole in the top of my foot, and ripped my ankles to shreds. For a week I could only wear my Vans, with socks, which sucks in the middle of summer!

I get blisters a lot. Which sucks, because I get blisters and then I can barely wear ANY shoes, much less new shoes, or loved shoes. I've tried the socks around the house thing, and you know what? I still get blisters. But no more. The genius' (!!!) at Band Aid have invented my dream product.

Are you ready for it? Band Aid Blister Block is a little deodorant like stick that you apply to the areas where your shoes rub. You then put your shoes on, and walk. Viola, no blisters. I have been wearing my Munoz Vrandecics all day, and it ACTUALLY WORKS. I was skeptical, believe me, I was. But I am now devoted. My summer just got so much better.

So you've learned two things here today. One, Munoz Vrandecics are cool shoes, and two, Blister Block exists!