Fashion,Style & Beauty on Fashion Girls

I’m not quite a person for winter, although I do like the white scene when it snows but I really don’t the like the winter styles, always too much to wear, and I don’t like it. So I’ll just pop off to spring, let’s have neak peek at the Carlos Campos Men’s Spring 2011.

There are those guests at a party who need everyone to know who, where and how they are at all times; they are loud and brash, and annoying in anything but the smallest doses. And then there are those who don’t need to make a racket, who are interesting or beautiful, or both, and can simply let the party come to them. If collections are party guests, Carlos Campos’s Spring/Summer 2011 would be the latter, and if I couldn’t talk to him all night, I’d just be happy to sit back and watch others do so.

Campos has effectively synthesized light knits and cottons with the sophistication and refinement we’ve come to expect from the 39-year old Honduran-American.

While he’s previously described the man who wears his clothes as “a clean rock star,” for next spring, he’s envisioned a young man traveling through Europe, “backpacking, but in a chic way.” No word whether he’s traveling with his axe, but Campos’s more fitted looks have given way to a more relaxed look, like his white 100% prima cotton pants, which give the legs some breathing room without descending into the realm of the too-casual.

He’s got some cool jackets, like a navy trench, where he’s forgone a full lining for seam binding, adding to its levity. There’s also a navy blazer inspired by a pea coat, so refreshing and cool you might not even notice the slight asymmetry of the lapels.

For shirts he’s sticking with plaids, like many of his compatriots, but with less dedication than others I’ve seen. Using Italian fabrics and Honduran assemblers, Campos insists on 22 stitches per square inch (most shirts have 14-16), and refuses to use any glue in his products. “These will look even better after you wash them,” he promises. But his real triumph here is in the plaid’s subtlety; there’s nothing garish and the details—French seams as well as gussets at the bottom—show innovation, without making a big deal out if it.

And there’s shoes, too! For the first time, Campos designed footwear. and the result is consistent with the achievements above. He’s fabricated a canvas oxford (in my mind it’s an oxford-meets-espadrille), with smooth leather interiors in 7 of the 12 muted colors he’s chosen for the collection.

The whole thing is a quiet triumph. If I can go back to my original metaphor, I left the party smiling, and looking forward to the next time we’d meet again. Hah…

Comfortable but not too casual, I like the feeling of inbetween, feels so nice, perfect!

Designer shoes are usually adorable but not quite affordable for people like me who don’t have like $700 budget for a single pair of platform heels. So it is always struggling for me to see these gorgeous designer shoes, always dreamed that they will come out with a lower price. Now it seems that the dream is almost coming true: Jones Apparel Group nabs Brian Atwood to launch an affordable footwear collection.

Buzzy shoe designer and Rachel Zoe-favorite Brian Atwood recently resigned from his post as creative director at Bally, so it’s no surprise that he’s getting into something else.

Jones Apparel Group has inked a deal with the designer to launch a contemporary footwear and accessories collection. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

In the past few years, Jones has attempted to revive its fuddy-duddy image through partnerships with the likes of Stuart Weitzman and Rachel Roy.

The line, tentatively named B Brian Atwood, will feature shoes priced between $200 and $400, as well as boots around $600.

This gives those of us who can’t afford $720 for a pair of patent leather platform heels some hope. This initial contract is for five years.

Totally great news, right? I just can’t helping imagine wearing those incredible shoes, let’s just wait for more details to come.

Sandals are the most welcomed footwear in summer, for they’re light and feels cool, and usually they’re cheap. But you know, when it comes to fashion everything can be different, sandals aren’t that cheap at all. So our question is : Why K.Jacques sandals are so damn expensive?

It’s the height of summer now and wearing as little as possible feels right. This goes for shoes, too. Who wants to clomp around in heavy footwear in this godawful heat?

Enter K. Jacques, purveyors of strappy leather sandals. The label was started in the 1930s in St. Tropez, France by an Armenian refugee. They were made-to-measure for each customer and the shop often made sandals for wealthy, famous people on holiday in St. Tropez. Many of the styles haven’t changed since then, though they do offer trendier options every year.

They cost between $200 and $400. This is a bit of sticker shock for what at first glance appears to be a nondescript flat sandal made from a strip or two of leather. I dug a bit to try to figure out how they can–and do–command that price.

1) Impeccable French heritage with a compelling story: Refugee makes good, attracts rich tourists.

2) The company has been family-owned since its inception and the shoes are handmade in a small factory in St. Tropez by “skilled artisans.” Handmade is obviously more time consuming and therefore, more expensive. I like to think of a bunch of women with lace caps lovingly sewing leather while humming Edith Piaf tunes.

3) The leather is sourced from France and Italy. Italian leather is often considered the best quality in the world, so there you go. Ka-ching.

4) Because of reasons 1, 2, and 3, K. Jacques has collaborated with some of the most prestigious designers and brands in the world. The company has worked with Isabel Marant, Karl Lagerfeld, Balenciaga, Givenchy, and Missoni, among many others. This has helped to establish a decent reputation as a luxury brand.

5) The styles are simple, just trendy enough, and look expensive without being overly flashy. Logos are still considered crass in this uncertain economic climate. And the shoes are cute! The styles they just did in collaboration with Opening Ceremony are really quirky (picture at left).

All in all, K. Jacques has a clean reputation, makes a quality product, and has that magical quality all brands lust after–caché. And if you cruise the Net-a-Porter sandal page, they look downright reasonably priced next to the $935 embellished Lanvins.

Anyway, I still think that sandals should be a lot cheaper, but if you don’t mind wearing the same sandals for several years K.Jacques would be a good choice, and since their sandals are handmade so they’re indeed very comfortable. But that &935 Lanvins, I really don’t know what to say.