Chic and Green, Italian Sneakers We Love!

Serafini, an Italian shoe brand since 1885, is known for athletic as well as more elegant styles. But in recent years they have become absolutely famous for their sneakers. We have designer and ex tennis coach Fabrizio Serafini, to thank.

His clean, colorful, vintage-inspired sneakers are truly innovative, incorporating materials you’d expect to find on an evening shoe like quality velvet, shiny satin, classic tartan and soft sponge. The result however, is still 100% a sneaker, without imperfections or excesses, but with an exquisite hint of snobbery.

This summer, in honor of the 80s, Serafini has designed the top-model sneaker, with the names of a few super models of the decade embroidered on the back heel: Cindy, Naomi, Karen and Claudia to mention a few.

And, just in time for Earth Day, the collection features 99% vegetable-tanned leather. “Every season I’ll be adding something new until the result is totally green,” he says.

Fringes everywhere

Here I’m finding myself on the bed trying to forget the fact that we are in the middle of Milan fashion week presenting the Fall/winter 2009 collection and instead focus on the spring/summer 2009 trends.

Many times spotting and individuating trends may seem very complicated, but if you stop, and think back on what you have seen last season or what you are seeing in the stores right now you will find that it’s actually not that hard.

An example of this is the fringes and African inspired trend that is very strong this spring/summer.
You find the fringes everywhere on ready to wear, bags and of course on our shoes.

This is however nothing new, if you look back you will realise that this is a trend that you began to see already last spring/summer. Many of the big fashion houses began to use both fringes and ethnical fabrics for their spring/ summer 2008 collections, not in a very pronounced way but…
Then the trend became a little more pronounced for the fall/winter 2008-2009 collections and now for the spring/summer 2009 the fringes are on everyone’s lips.
To give you some examples let’s begin with maybe the most famous of them all GUCCI just have a look at this booth from there fall/winter 2008 collection, or these GIANNA MELIANI boots to just mention two of them. For the spring summer instead you find the fringes in almost every collection.
This means that this summer you can be super trendy to a more over comely price. Just have a look at the sandals from GLITTERPINK or VIENTY.

 

 

 

ICE ICE BABY!

Brrr! Italy has been struck by the cold!

I remember my first year at university here, I arrived in October 2000, believing that I moved to a warm country. Or at least warmer than Sweden…

Which is true, but there is a “but.”

In Sweden the winters are cold and they’ll stay that way even if global warming puts an end to winter everywhere else. But at least in Sweden we accept this and are prepared for it. Our houses are isolated and constructed to resist the frigid temps.

Here in Italy, the heating systems aren’t even worth mentioning.

For example, I was just away for four days, and when I got back, I found my home at a temperature of 12 degrees (54 Fahrenheit)!

Then I had one of those moments where I thought, “Thank you mother for knowing everything!”

For Christmas two years ago my mother, knowing that I’m always freezing, gave me a present that I didn’t believe that I would ever have any use for. I was so wrong.

Yesterday my Engmo Duntofflor filled with down, saved my suffering feet!

Another fantastic slipper is the Slippies! You heat them up in the microwave for 90 seconds and they will keep your feet warm for an hour. The only problem is that they come in fleece. I can’t stand fleece!

So I will keep my engmo duntofflor. But for the those of you who don’t mind fleece you can also try the ciabbatONE from Creativando.

You will never have to suffer from the Cold Feets, again!

GLAM NIGHT IN TIMES OF CRISIS!!!

Everyone is talking about it and unfortunately many are living it.

No difference here in Italy, we talk of nothing other than this economic crisis, crisis and more crisis!

On a day like this though, the financial crisis doesn’t exist at all.

I went to the hair dresser today and it was crowded with ladies of all ages having their hair done while discussing what to wear to their New Year’s parties. Should it be their new Fendi shoes or should they don their Prada shoes?

I silently asked myself what happened to the crisis. How do you mange to have the newest from the most important fashion houses in these times?

The answer is simple, you go for safe investments!

Bags, jewelery and shoes are the perfect investment, and not as an excuse for us shoe fanatics to continue shopping.

No, because in two years the it-bag or it-shoe will become vintage or a collection piece.

With this philosophy, we fashion loving Italians continue to buy the fantastic shoes that our favorite designers have dreamed up for us in their fall/winter 2008-2009 collections. Shoes that, when one has a first look at them, are beautiful but beg the question, where should I wear you?

Buy them, use them, save them!

You won’t regret it.

Just have a look at the artful pieces that Roberto Cavalli, Christian Louboutain, Cèline, have designed for us.

So all of you shoe fanatics out there, give the gift of safe investments!

(Even if the gift is for you!)

I have done just that and so has my friend, Francesca.

I will be wearing my new Gianna Meliani shoes and she will be wearing her new Prada shoes. I wish you all a Happy New Year and Happy Shopping!