...The Neglected Millions...

theneglectedmillions.com

...BAD NEWS...

So, I know I've been really really lazy... but I have excuses. I have recently joined the world of employment, and I've been working on some shoe designs for a friend with a label (more later).

And, the bad news... they've cancelled the shoe making course I was doing, which is the only real shoe making course in the state, and one of only two Australia-wide. It's a shame, and their reasoning - it's a hobby course only, no-one is taking it to a career level and all shoe design/making is being done off-shore. The worst thing they can do in such a situation? Shut down the only course that lets people learn these skills! A more reasonable solution would be to have a course that ran more than one day a week, turn it into a course where people can learn the skills they need to turn it into a career.

Anyway, like I said I'm working on some shoes for a friend's label and we're hoping to get samples made up soon...

...FIRST HEEL...

We finally get to make a heel! It's not the styliest of heels but a heel nonetheless.

I'll be posting showing each step of making these.

First we need to make a shell forme. This means cutting blue architectural trace to the general shape of the last (the foot shaped model we make the shoe around-you can see it drawn in the above pic.), wetting it, carefully wrapping it around the last and drying it with a heat gun (hence the small burn marks in the picture below). 

Then we draw the centre lines and design lines onto the shell forme both measuring and going by eye. We actually judge by eye more than I expected in shoe design... Unless the design is asymmetrical you only draw on the outside half. This design has the contrast detail that wraps around, so that needs to be drawn in.

When we've finished drawing we slice down the centre lines (effectively cutting the shell forme in half) and put a few notches around the toe. Flatten it out onto a piece of paper and we have a three dimensional form in 2D - this is what we make the patterns from. 

More to come soon...

...ZAHA & MELISSA...

We have been promised these shoes FOR EVER. A collaboration between architect, Zaha Hadid and Brazilian shoe label, Melissa. 

They were supposed to be released last year but when I spoke to a Melissa rep she said Zaha was perfecting them... over and over... and over.

They're finally available on the Melissa website in black, purple and silver - but at $365 they're a little pricey... especially if I can't try them on... and I haven't seen them at any of the Melissa stockists in Sydney.

I love the sweeping lines and irregular, asymmetrical forms (in both the shoes and Zaha's buildings...)

I love Melissa shoes - they are so comfortable and they smell like strawberries :)

I have a pair of these in green and a pair in black.

And I have these:

I think I'm going to buy these:

A collaboration between Vivienne Westwood and Melissa, they're much more affordable than the Zaha's at $185. Should I?

...I ♥ RICK...

I am still in love with these Rick Owens boots... Driving down Oxford St. in Paddington I swear I caught sight of a pair in a shop window. I definitely have to go confirm, but whatever they were they looked like they belong in my closet.

...PUMPS...

So it's been a while since I've posted anything... I'm a terrible blogger. I've been super busy helping my boyfriend with a new space he's opening (and which I'll post about later)

My boyfriend got these for me from a fashion show - they're hilarious, not sure how much wear I can get out of them though! Just really cheap shoes with gold chain, zipper and toy basketball stuck on the heel... apparently the stylist had a budget of $30/pair of shoes!

I wore them out the other night to a 90's hip hop night and I've never had so many comments on my shoes - goes to show what you can do on a low budget with a bit of imagination.

...A TRIBUTE TO THE TRIBUTES...

I'm still in love with the Yves Saint Laurent Tribute pumps... I was out the other day and spotted these knock-offs by Wittner. Actually, I'm not sure if these are actually called the Tribute pumps - I think that's only the peep-toe version... these, I think, are just the YSL Platform Pump. Whatever it's called, I love it.

At only $189- the Wittner Sassy heels are much more within my price range than the YSL version at US$795!

Now if I can only find a knockoff of the YSL boots that made it to my lust-have list in Feb I'll be happy...