Yes, you read it right, please go ahead and tell us how YOU think we should run this place!
Suggestions, comments, requests...everything is welcome. Just send an email to editor@shoesforher.com.
May 24, 2005
May 19, 2005
London - Youth Culture
Combine London youth culture, street fashion and music with a wedge heel and this is what you get. Fly London Lass Camel, FLY shoes which have a very unique and artistic flavour to them. This shoe is what you wear when you want to express your individuality.
May 07, 2005
Full of Fun
You just have to smile wearing these pettit heels designed by Isaacc Mizrahi. Thinking about it now, I am sure I saw their cousin on Legally Blonde.
May 04, 2005
Polish Up
Try two coats of Revlon Red on your well groomed toes for that sexy and eye catching finish! It is perfect for smart or casual, but for the best effect I love it with a stunning pair of beaded black stilettos and a cute little black dress for a night out on the town. This racy red polish seems to be getting lots of girls fired up taking out the 2004 CosmoGIRL Kiss of Approval Beauty Awards.
May 03, 2005
Manolo Blahnik
Manolo Blahnik began his extraordinary career in the Seventies and continues to be a champion of timeless and beautifully crafted designs. His shoes are synonymous with high glamour and full-throttle sex appeal and have become as famous as the women who wear them.
Born in 1943 in the Canary Islands to a Spanish mother and Czech father and raised on a banana plantation, Blahnik's formative years could not have been further from the fashion capitals of the world. He began by studying architecture and literature at the University of Geneva but abandoned his studies after just a year in favour of moving to Paris 1968. He moved to London two years later where he worked briefly as a photographer for the Sunday Times and immediately fell into the fashion set, making friends with Paloma Picasso and photographer Eric Boman. During a trip to New York in 1971 with his new friends, Blahnik was introduced to Diana Vreeland, then the editor-in-chief of US Vogue, by Picasso. At the time, Blahnik wanted to be a theatre designer but, once he had been persuaded to show her his sketches and after admiring the shoes he had on - a tiny Edwardian pair from Portobello Market - Vreeland insisted that he "should concentrate on the funny little things on the feet". And Blahnik obeyed.
His first collection was designed for Ossie Clark in 1972, but over the years, Blahnik's shoes have graced the catwalks of the world's leading designers including Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Calvin Klein, John Galliano and Michael Kors. In 1973, he opened Zapata, a boutique on Old Church Street in London which soon became regularly frequented by Bianca Jagger, Marie Helvin and Jerry Hall. Blahnik became a pseudo-uncle to the baby Jade Jagger and would visit Bianca at home frequently. He even changed Jade's nappies. 
Now universally known as 'Manolo's', Blahnik's shoes are coveted by a long list of famous clientele from celebrities to royalty. Bianca wore them to make her famous Studio 54 entrance on a white horse in 1977, Diana, Princess of Wales wore them to the Serpentine Gallery in 1994 on the night that Prince Charles admitted his infidelity on television and Kylie Minogue wore them for the cover of her 2001 comeback album. Madonna once described shoes designed by Blahnik as "better than sex" and added that, "what's more, they last longer". Blahnik, known for a wit as sharp as the heels he is famous for making, simply responded: "You have to admire her, she hides her lack of talent so well.
Blahnik's status as a cultural phenomenon was reaffirmed when Marge Simpson wore a pair of his mules during a 1991 episode of The Simpsons. Later, his name became even better known when his designs took 'supporting roles' on the hit television shows Absolutely Fabulous and Sex And The City.
A craftsman with an impeccable eye for detail, Blahnik plays the major part in the creation of his designs, from the initial sketches to creating his own advertising campaigns which always feature his drawings. During his 30-year career, they have become sought after in their own right, raising £10,000 at a charity auction in the United States in 2000. Yet, his business is remarkably small with only one shop in London and a second boutique in New York. Named Accessory Designer of the Year by the British Fashion Council in 1990 and 1999, Blahnik also has honorary doctorates from the Royal London College of Art and the Royal Society of Arts of Britain. In 2003, he was honoured with a retrospective exhibition of his drawings, memorabilia and collections at the Design Museum in London.
(Source: Vogue.com)
Donald Pliner
 1943 |
Donald J Pliner was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, with his twin sister Donna. Born with a "silver shoehorn" in his mouth, Donald and brother, Elliot, worked as apprentices to their father, Leo, at the family owned Pliner's Florsheim Family Shoe Stores. |
| 1967 | Donald opened Pappagallo Beverly Hills - his own retail store. First-year sales hit almost $1 million. |
| 1971 | Donald rose to retail prominence with the Right Bank Clothing Co. Located on Camden Drive in Beverly Hills, this store quickly became the source for fashion. Three years later, the store became the Right Bank Shoe Co., which served as the first American outlet for European designers like Thierry Mugler, Basile, Castelbajac, Maud Frizon, Stephane Kelian, Arche, Bisonte and Trussardi. At the same time, Donald opened a second store, The Right Bank Clothing Co. and Tea Room, on Rodeo Drive. Donald continued to innovate, developing a line of RBCC clothing, shoes and accessories. This line generated so much attention, it warranted a wholesale division. This was picked up and represented in specialty and department stores across the country. Meanwhile, the Right Bank Clothing Co. and Tea Room became the place of choice for celebrity meetings. |
| 1984 | Intershoe recruited Donald to head a new line of Spanish-produced footwear called Glacè. He not only designed the collection, but he also directed and conceived the whole operation, including sales. The result was the incredibly successful Glacee collection. Within two years, the line was sold nationwide. |
| 1987 | Donald moved into producing fashion-forward shoes for Erica. His design direction dramatically increased sales and new business. |
| 1989 | Donald once again created his own line of footwear and accessories with current company Donald J Pliner. |
| 1994 | Donald designed his first all-over elastic shoe, using comfort as his underlying goal. Although his current collections include novelty materials and vibrant colors, almost every style has some elastic in it, whether hidden or used as the primary fabric for a shoe. |
| 1998 | Men’s footwear is introduced by Donald J Pliner for the first time. What started as basic shoes made mostly of elastic has evolved into fashion for the male feet. Today, the men’s line includes dress shoes, boots, basic comfort shoes, sandals, sporty styles, and executive dress shoes, which use the air-touch system patented in Italy for added comfort. |
| 1999 | Aventura Mall in South Florida is established as the location for the first Donald J Pliner concept store. The décor of the store remains consistent with the New York showroom as well as Donald’s home in Miami, and is the basis for all of the Donald J Pliner boutiques. The artifacts and unique collections from his travels around the world adorn the floor and walls and have continually served as the inspiration for Donald’s shoes and accessories. Known for his high fashion comfort footwear, Donald wants his customers to be comfortable not only while wearing his shoes, but also when shopping for them. |
| 2002 | Donald J Pliner Handbags are re-launched with a complete makeover. Two collections of handbags are available, they include the “Couture” line, which is made in Italy, and the “Donald J Pliner” line, which is manufactured in Asia and other parts of the world. All of the accessories are designed to match the shoes in such elements as materials and colorations. |
| 2003 | Donald J Pliner opens his flagship store in Beverly Hills on Camden Drive, just one block away from the original location of The Right Bank Clothing Co. where Donald launched his business thirty-seven years earlier. |
| 2005 | Today, Donald continues to develop an innovative line of luxury comfort footwear, mixing creative energy with ongoing entrepreneurial spirit. The company has expanded to include footwear for men and women, leatherwear for men and women, handbags, and belts. Donald has also launched Friends of BabyDoll Pliner, a collection featuring outerwear, collars, leashes, harnesses, day carriers, and FAA approved airline carriers for dogs up to 20 pounds. There are six Donald J Pliner concept stores in Aventura, Beverly Hills, Coral Gables, Houston, Las Vegas, and San Jose. |
Home Pedicure 101
So you have decided to go for the home pedicure option. Here are 12 tips for doing it just like the professionals! Not even your best friend will be able to tell the difference. If you are going to do the ritual, allow an hour or more for drying. As a general rule, if you are applying more than two coats, waiting time is going to be necessary.
Your pedicure should last about two weeks without chipping (depending on what brand you use). Enjoy! your feet are about to look fabulous!!!
You will need the following supplies:
- Pumice stone
- Toe separators or cotton balls/roll
- Emory board
- Cuticle remover
- Orangewood stick
- Color nail polish
- Base coat
- Top coat
- Nail polish remover
- Quick dry spray
- Nail clippers
- Big bowel or bucket
- Nail buffer
- Cotton balls
- Towels
- Peppermint Lotion
- Socks
- Thoroughly saturate a cotton ball with nail polish remover and use it to remove any old polish you may have on your toenails from you last pedicure. Gently pressing the cotton ball on the nail for a moment before wiping the nail with a circular motion will make it easier to remove the polish.
- Fill the big bowl or bucket with enough warm soapy water to cover your feet. Soak for at least five minutes.
Note: Whenever you are working on one foot, the other foot should be soaking in the warm water. - Dry your foot and apply the cuticle remover at the base of each nail. Wait one minute for the remover to soften the cuticle. Use the wedged end of the orangewood stick to push the cuticle back. Repeat this procedure on the other foot.
- Using the nail clippers, cut off any nails that are too long. Length is a personal preference, but make sure the nail is shorter than the toe. Be careful not to cut the nails too short as this can cause ingrown toenails and can be quite painful. With the emery board, file the nail into a square shape.
- Use the nail buffer to smooth any roughness or ridges on the surface of the nails.
- Wet the pumice stone in the big bowl or bucket. Rub any areas of dry or flaking skin gently with the pumice stone. Rinse the foot and dry.
- Apply a generous amount of lotion to the foot, massaging it in and taking care to cover all the foot, especially the dry and flaky parts. Massage the lotion up your legs to your knees. Relax for 10 minutes, allowing your skin to soak in the soothing lotion.
- Saturate a cotton ball with nail polish remover and go back over your toenails, making sure that all lotion residues are removed. This is important, since the polish will not stick to any surface that still has lotion residue on it.
- Press the toe separators between the toes, so that each toe is not rubbing on the next.
Note: Toe separators should never be shared. You never know where other peoples toes have been. Be very careful to keep the cotton wool away from the nails themselves, as cotton fibers will ruin the look of the polish. - Brush 1 coat of the base coat over each nail. Allow it to dry for one minute.
- Apply 2 coats of the nail color. Allow it to dry for 5 minutes.
- Apply the top coat. Allow it to dry for 1 minute, then spray your nails with the quick dry spray.
If possible, allow a half hour for the nails to dry completely.
This entire procedure should take about an hour. After your nails are dry, you can look down often and admire your handiwork. Your pedicure should last about 2 weeks or even longer if you apply more coats of the topcoat. Have fun!
