AW15/16 boots for every occasion...

There are very few things that get me excited about winter, I'm a summer girl through and through. But, as always, fashion has a way of making even the gloomiest times of year that bit more enjoyable, and boots are undoubtedly one of my winter highlights. (I actually wrote a whole post about my Top 5 Sartorial Reasons to Appreciate Autumn/Winter a few years ago, which you can find here.) With this in mind, here is some of A/W15's finest footwear to brighten a rather miserable Thursday morning...

1. Corsita ankle boots, £825 Christian Louboutin
Black, leopard print and that classic red sole... yes please.

2. Chiara suede ankle boots, £650 Sophia Webster
I'm beginning to feel like I should be getting paid to do Sophia Webster's PR! But seriously, she can do no wrong in my eyes... what can I say about these boots other than I want them. Now.

3. Leather ankle boots, £695 Christian Louboutin
If ever a shoe with a spike heel was going to be called practical, this would be it. They're smart and sensible, but leave it to Louboutin to ensure that they are still sexy. 

4. Embroidered suede boots, £835 Balmain
The price tag is the only thing stopping me from running out and buying these right now! It's nice to see something a little different from the typical biker boot that gets re-hashed each season, and something tells me these would be as comfy as they are beautiful.

5. Studded ankle boots, £885 Givenchy
These leather boots are perhaps a little more practical than the suede options and (I suspect) more than a little inspired by the Chloé Susanna boot. A great option for keeping your toes dry during London's rainy winters. 

6. Crystal embellished suede ankle boots, £825 Dolce & Gabbana
Another suede option here, but given a D&G twist with that beautiful pearl embellishment on the heel. The detail elevates this from a classic ankle boot to something a bit more special.

Sophia Webster meets Barbie...

I think it's pretty safe to say that I have never been a Barbie girl (in fact if we are referring to the childhood years I was definitely more of a dinosuars and Transformers kind of girl), but leave it to Sophia Webster to make me want to live life in plastic.

Her collaboration with Barbie makes complete sense – the resultant shoes are effortlessly true to both icons. The are instantly recognisable as Webster's designs, yet the plethora of pink and use of perspex are unquestionably Barbie. Pink high heels not your thing? No problem. The collection comprises nine pairs of shoes – three of which are heels – but there are also two pairs of trainers, one pair of flat sandals and three children's pairs.

"Creating a shoe collection for Barbie has always been my dream project, but getting to be a part of her embracing flats for the first time made it extra exciting, and deeply personal," Webster has said to Vogue. "I love that this concept strikes a balance between dreams and reality - the idea of getting Barbie in some hi-tops and setting her loose in East London instantly appealed."

Available from Selfridges worldwide and www.sophiawebster.com

Sophia Webster Spring 2015 collection

Spring is finally here! I'm still wearing a coat and my 'I Hate Winter' hat (both literally and metaphorically) but the daffodils are making an appearance and reminding me that summer will be here before we know it; daylight until 10pm, short-shorts, sandals, picnics in the park, Pimms.... bring it on.

Yesterday was not only notable for a solar eclipse (such as it was in London), but it was also the spring equinox – midway between the longest and shortest day of the year – marking the start of the far superior half of the year in my opinion. To celebrate the arrival of spring I wanted to share the new collection from shoe designer extraordinaire, Sophia Webster.

You might recall me drooling over her designs for the first time at London Fashion Week in 2012 and since then she has most definitely achieved the success she deserves, even collaborating with Victoria's Secret - a match made in fashion heaven.

Her SS15 collection is as bold and beautiful as you would expect, although this time Webster decided to retain the girly aesthetic she's known for but crank up the attitude. The result? A jungle rave presentation held in Southbank's vaults and a fabulous collection of neon footwear featuring her typical Aztec designs in addition to animal print, bold florals and... bananas.

The wonderful thing about Sophia Webster footwear is that although her designs are wild, her aesthetic is always beautiful; the shapes of the shoes themselves are always perfectly proportioned. (I will never understand the recent ugly shoe trend, please please leave the unflattering chunky soles and awkward heel heights in the past where they belong.)

Below are a few of my favourite designs: beautiful Rousseau inspired tiger print heels, pineapple heeled jellies and banana print flats.

Rousseau Jungle

Rosa

Adele

To see more of Sophia's fabulous designs (and equally fabulous bags!) head over to www.sophiawebster.com

Suede by Sophia – a match made in fashion heaven

You may recall a post last year in which I was drooling over some fabulous shoes at London Fashion Week by Sophia Webster. If you’ve checked them out for yourself, you’ll know that her shoes really are something special – so fabulous that they could quite easily tip you over the edge from shoe lover to full-blown credit card crippling shoe-aholic. Her style is fun, bright, and extremely stylish, but my god does this girl know how to work a flamingo! Now there’s a sentence you don’t get to say very often...

So I was very happy to hear that Sophia has collaborated with global makeup brand Revlon. An unusual partnering in some ways (have many shoe designers collaborated with cosmetic companies before?!) but a logical one when you think about it. Shoes and lipstick play a very similar role in a girl's life – they are instant mood elevators and offer a satisfying pick me up, even on those challenging days when a whiskey coffee won’t suffice.

The collaboration is based on Revlon’s new range of ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipsticks, and while I have yet to try these (I must ask my good friend and beauty guru Kay for a review) I am a big fan of Revlon, as it offers amazing products and sleek packaging for drugstore prices. I will sing the praises of their Super Lustrous Lip Glosses to anyone who cares to listen! (Super pigmented, long wearing and non-sticky in case you were wondering.)

 

The shoes are inspired by Sophia’s favourite lipstick shades – some simply reference the colour, while others use a rather cute lip motif to liven up existing classic styles. The shoes reflect the whole lipstick range, from hot pink and coral to bright red and deep burgundy. My favourites are ‘Kiki’ shown above, which were designed exclusively for the Revlon project and inspired by Revlon’s Muse 005. The clear vinyl makes it look like your feet are covered in nothing but lipstick kisses – strange but very pretty!

For something a little more classic, the gorgeous burgundy ‘Backstage’ pair were inspired by the deep shade 035. Sophia says, “I teamed this suede with rose gold baubles as this is my favourite metallic tone, it's opulent yet elegant and feminine.”

‘Lulu Red’ is a fantastic summery pair of shoes inspired by Revlon’s classic red lipstick shades. The polka dots and ankle strap give them a glamorous fifties feel and you can easily picture a red-lipped Marilyn Monroe skipping round old-school Hollywood in a pair.

For the whole range visit www.suedebysophia.co.uk, where I believe each pair is around the £500 mark and made to order. If you love Sophia Webster but don’t fancy parting with quite that much cash I have good news for you – you can currently pick up some fantastic sale bargains over on her very pretty website for a fraction of the price. I'll post a few of my favourites below, but for more choices visit www.sophiawebster.co.uk.

Peron slingback with rose gold flamingo heel £102, was £340

Flamingo vinyl lace-up bootie £340, was £485

Rio sunrise sandal £170, was £340

Friday Fashion Fix: Sophia Webster

Today's Friday Fashion Fix is dedicated to the rather fabulous Sophia Webster, whose shoes I had the privilege of drooling over at London Fashion Week. Her designs are stylish yet fun, and she is not afraid to work bold colours and patterns. So far, so good!

Sophia studied at the Royal College of Art and Cordwainers before moving on to work for Nicholas Kirkwood as a design assistant. Kirkwood also acted as a mentor, and after two years he helped her to launch her own collection, which has already been picked up by the likes of Harvey Nichols, Saks and Net-a-Porter.

Describing her current collection, Sophia says, "Spring/Summer 2013 is inspired by the traditional dress of the Hmong people, Yayoi Kusama and deconstructed Aztec prints, all with a tropical West Palm Beach feel."

My favourites are probably the Aztec open-toe boots above – the pastels are perfect for spring, but the strong lines and use of black prevent them from being too cute.

In light of the uncertain economic climate of recent years, accessories have become increasingly important to consumers who are a little more cautious with their spending. The budget might not stretch to head-to-toe couture, but would anyone even notice the rest of your outfit in a a pair of heels as fabulous as these?! Probably not.

Expect to see a lot more of Sophia Webster, this lady has a bright future ahead.