Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Best of 2013

This is a short review of my (blogged) 2013, I hope you enjoy.

December 

Xmas Gift (Chantall Thomass stay-ups)
Out at one of my favorite place (Zara heels, Wolford stay-ups and JBrand shorts)
Vanesia... (Woolen beanie, Ports 1961 coat and Imperial lace shirt)
Ganga style (Mango fake leather skinnies, Dolce & Gabbana tee)


October 

All-leather and sort of mood (High boots: Miu Miu, (eco) leather shors: Tezenis)
All leather mood (Miu Miu booties, Givenchy Obsedia clutch, Mango leather skirt)
All leather mood (detail)
August

Summer Evening (Zara lace-up heels/ Adele Fado dress)
At the pool (with my choos)
At one of my fav wine bar & restaurant (Styligion dress/ Zara lace-up heels)
J

Navy mood (Bally sandals)
June
Loubies and net tights in a cool June night

May
Light silk dress, leather jacket, vintage Sergio Rossi sandals and messy hair.
Markus Lupfer stripes

April

Phillip Lim flower shirt and Casadei booties

John Richmond white dress and Valentino Rockstuds slingbacks

March
Asos maxi dress and Jimmy Choo Vita high heels at Kempiski Soma Bay - Egypt
February

Just arrived at Miami Doral Resort (Polo Ralph Lauren vintage knit and Sexy Woman skinnies)

January
Jeffrey Campbell spikey pumps that inspired the name of this blog...

Dear cyber buddies, I wish you an Happy New Year and I hope you will follow me also in 2014...

XXX

Spikey V.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

All-leather-and-sort-of...




Shorts - TEZENIS
High boots - MIU MIU
Sunnies - CHANEL
Black Felt Fedora - MISS SELFRIDGE
 
All-leather-and-sort-of is one of my favorite trend for this season... It's currently one of the hottest trends both for the high-end designers and mass market fast-fashion retailers*. In these pics you can see two leather (or better sort of) items I’m in love with: my Miu Miu high boots and these (cheap and chic) shorts by Tezenis (about 25 USD). I’m wearing them both in an all-black, rock version or with some silver/gold accessories to bright up the final look. And you, do you like this trend?
Abiti ed accessori in pelle od eco-pelle sono tra i miei preferiti in questa stagione. Come avrete notato questo trend è molto diffuso sia tra i marchi del lusso, che in quelli di fascia medio-bassa. Mi piace molto mixarli insieme per realizzare dei look in tutto-nero, molto rock, oppure abbinarli a degli accessori dai colori metallici (argento, oro, bronzo...) per illuminarli. Nelle foto due dei pezzi che mi piacciono di più: gli stivaloni alti di Miu Miu e questi shorts di eco-pelle di Tezenis (super-economici, 19 EUR, ma d’impatto). Niente male, no?
*If you want to read more: Is leather more popular than ever before? 

Friday, September 27, 2013

Cultures Express Beauty So Differently - Ports 1961 W SS14 Fashion Show






PORTS 1961 it's an up-and-coming luxury brand. The brand DNA is sophisticated and minimal, richly influenced by multicultural vibes as in the history of the company, spanning from Canada to the Far East and now Europe, and in the personal life of its creative director, Fiona Cibani, born to Italian-Turkish parents, raised in Vancouver and moved to China in the early nineties with Ports. "Cultures express beauty so differently,” says Fiona and the ability to create beauty out of this multi-cultural heritage is what attracts me more about this brand. The other core "gene" of this brand is the care for the quality of fabrics and of the making. About three years ago Ports 1961 moved to Italy to pursue this excellence in quality, with a made-in-Italy production (luckily still the best of the world for high fashion). The woman SS14 collection I saw last week is a sign of the growth of this brand, it's clean and wearable, reinterpreting many trends like the importance of the prints, the A-line dresses and skirts (one of Cibani's own signature), the mix of different materials such as organza and cady, bermudas*, bandeaux tops under voluminous coats... Shoes were made of colored bands (white, camel or azure) with silver frames that were shining under the runway flashes. Metallic + leather/ print shoes appear to be another trend for the next seasons.
For more info about the mood and inspiration of this collection watch the backstage video (yeah, it's me in the video, chatting with Enzo Miccio, a popular style guru in Italy...). Fashion shows are always fun...

*I'm not fooling you ...  I don't like so much bermudas...but it seems we will see many of them in the next seasons.


PORTS 1961 e' uno dei brand up-and-coming del lusso. Il DNA del brand e' sofisticato, minimale, influenzato da molteplici suggestioni ed influenze culturali, come nella storia della società _ iniziata in Canada e poi estesasi, tra le prime nella moda, alla Cina e poi più tardi al Vecchio Continente _ e personale di Fiona Cibani, il direttore creativo di Ports 1961, nata da una famiglia italo-turca, cresciuta in Canada ed ora in continuo viaggio tra oriente, dove vive, ed occidente. “Ogni cultura esprime la bellezza in modo completamente diverso” afferma Fiona ed è proprio la capacità di creare bellezza da questo mix di culture, uno degli aspetti che trovo più interessanti di questo marchio. Una delle altre caratteristiche distintive del brand è la particolare attenzione alla qualita' della fattura (poco più di due anni fa, proprio per perseguire l'eccellenza  qualitativa, la società si è spostata in Italia per realizzare una produzione interamente made in Italy,  la migliore al mondo nel settore dell'alto di gamma della moda, si',  ancora,  e speriamo a lungo).



La collezione Donna SS14  che ho visto sfilare la settimana scorsa a Milano, testimonia la maturità e la crescita di questo marchio. Una collezione molto pulita e commerciale, nel senso positivo di "portabile, non solo di ricerca", in grado di inglobare e reinterpretare  alcune delle suggestioni/trend del momento come la ricchezza delle stampe, le linee a trapezio (da sempre una delle cifre stilistiche della stilista Fiona Cibani), la sovrapposizioni di materiali di diverso peso , i bermuda**, i top a fascia sotto giacche oversize ...

La palette di colori ed i materiali si ispirano alla scenografia del film cult "Zabriskie Point" di Antonioni. I colori proposti sono quindi quelli del tramonto nel deserto, dell’aria e del cielo: cammello, bianco ottico, nero, rosa e celeste.
 

Le scarpe, basse ed alte, sono caratterizzate da una lavorazione a fasce con inserti metallici luccicanti sotto il flash dei fotografi, un altro trend delle prossime stagioni.

 

Per maggiori info sul mood e sull'ispirazione della sfilata e su quanto è accaduto dietro le quinte guardate il video del backstage.(sì, ci sono anch'io nel video tra il parterre di invitati... :-) e sì è sempre divertente seguire le sfilate).

** che non mi fanno impazzire, ma pare infesteranno le prossime stagioni... 


Thursday, August 29, 2013

Sparkling And Shining Like A Star





(Ph. Private)
Slingbacks - VALENTINO ROCKSTUDS
Skinny Jeans - SEVEN FOR ALL MANKIND
Necklace - ASOS

Hi,

I know I was a very bad blogger... during my summer vacations I just made some quick posts on my FB page and Instagram account and deserted this blog, but now I'm back to you well relaxed and full of energy and ideas.


This post is about a sparkle-and-shine-like-a-star look based on my Valentino Rockstuds, that I particularly liked this summer and that I'm planning to wear again on my September evenings back to town.

In short: what is the main characteristic of Valentino Rockstuds shoes? Easy, their studs. Do you shine? Yes, the platinum finish ones really do shine. I decided to stress their sparkling attitude matching them with brilliant and white clothes/accessories like the golden sequins top,  glitter clutch and white skinnies and jacket of these pics. I really liked this look, perfect to enhance the (temporary) glow of my summer tan and to shine like a star in the summer nights...  

Btw. these pics were shot at Casa Brusada, one of my favorite wine bar, located in the Montello & Colli Asolani area in North-eastern Italy (renowned for its wines: Prosecco, a  sparkling white, and for some Bordeaux-style reds).

Stay tuned, I'm back.
XO


Ciao,

sì lo so, sono stata una cattiva blogger... durante queste vacanze ho postato soltanto sulla mia pagina FB e sul mio account Instagram e disertato questo blog, ma eccomi qui da voi di nuovo carica di energia. 
Questo post è per parlarvi di un look semplice, ma interessante, che ho ottenuto abbinando le mie rockstud color avorio a degli accessori glitter e bianchi in alcune sere d'estate per un effetto super luminoso, adatto a far risaltare la (temporanea) doratura della mia abbronzatura e la spirit scintillante che l'estate porta con sè. La sera delle foto ho abbinato le mie Rockstuds con un top a fascia in paillettes dorate, dei jeans skinny, una giacca bianca e la mia clutch in glitter... okay, spesso "less is more", ma certe volte è bello esagerare. L'abbinamento delle Rockstuds a degli accessori scintillanti mette in particolare risalto la caratteristica principale di queste scarpe, le piccole borchie con finitura color platino*, che sono davvero brillanti e stanno bene sia con abbinamenti eleganti, che più casual/rockettari. Che ne pensate?

Ps. queste foto sono state scattate all'enoteca Casa Brusada, una delle mie preferite, che si trova nella zona del Montello e dei Colli Asolani (TV), zona di produzione del Prosecco e di alcuni vini rossi di stile bordolese.
A presto.

* Nella versione più classica delle Rockstuds, vi sono infatti anche delle versioni con borchie tono su tono.

Spikey V.


  

Friday, August 9, 2013

New FW13 trend: lace up sandals (by Zara)


Senza Compromessi/No compromises

Ph. Private
Kimono dress - ADELE FADO


Lace up sandals and sandals boots are an hot trend for next FW13. I love this style, sexy and cool, so I decided to try these ones by Zara. These are my first shoes by the Spanish king of fast-fashion. As you know if you are following me on this blog, I usually prefer to invest on accessories and shoes in particular and mix and match them with lower-cost clothing. 

My short feedback for you:
1) the buying experience was excellent: I ordered them online, chose to have them shipped to a Zara store close to me, was alerted by an sms when they were available in the store and picked them up there easily without having to go to the counter.
2) I really love their style: I'll match them with short dresses like the kimono in these pics or with skinny and maybe rolled-up jeans. 
3)their quality is fair compared to their price, so overall I'm satisfied about these sandals. Mixing luxury with less expensive shoes (in particular for fancy, very seasonal styles), could be a good strategy for a shoeaholic like me and for my wallet.. Okay, I'll try this strategy and I'll keep you updated about this new experience, even if I continue to prefer luxury shoes (their design, quality of leather and components, comfort, allure and durability are no doubt completely different than the ones of budget shoes, as their price ...). 

Do you love this lace up style? what is your experience with less expensive shoes by Zara or other fast-fashion retailers?

XO
Spikey V.



Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Preparing for Fall under Hedi Slimane's influence


Saint Laurent "Janis" Mary Jane pumps
Saint Laurent "Janis" Mary Jane pumps


Thinking about the cold season now, in the middle of this hot and long desired Summer makes me rather uncomfortable ... but, as a true fashionista I started to collect some items for next Fall/Winter. These two picks, I guess, will become some of my new season staples and represent two trends you could be interested about.

 
1) SAINT LAURENT pointed leather Mary-Jane pumps I noticed these beauties some months ago and  waited they went on sale, but they didn't ... last week I got resigned to this evidence and bought them online. Yeah, girls, next fall you will see me wearing "all black - but expensive black. The kind of deep, soft black that you fall into.  And please don't ask how much it all cost, because that's irrelevant. This is investment shopping. The biggest investment of my life..." * ;-)

Why I did this "investment":

a) I really like how Hedi Slimane, the new eclectic creative director of Saint Laurent, is rejuvenating and transforming this iconic luxury brand. He is inflating new life to it, adding young and partly subversive vibes to this historic brand out of his "subculture" background. These pumps are not the more extreme, but a good example of his inspiration. Their shape and proportions really intrigue me, in particular the bold contrast of the thin heel compared to the thick platform, they look like a gothic or rock decadent cartoon, something like Tim Burton's Corpse Bride...
b) I like exaggerated heels and they really are... (5.5"/14 cm in my size)
c) They are the perfect pointed toe pumps for the cold season, with their thick platform they can carry you from morning to night across rainy, muddy or snowy streets and not only across soft carpets and clean floors.
d) The other Saint Laurent shoes I have are of a good quality and quite comfortable, I found out these are very good too and very comfortable(for heels high like these, much more than loubies for sure...)
Last note: they are pointy but they run true to size.

If you like pointy toes with ankle straps, but you are looking for a budget alternative you can check also these pumps by Zara.


 2) MANGO "'A LA HEDI SLIMANE" LEATHER SKIRT
Saint Laurent FW13 Collection

I really like not only Slimane's shoes**, but also his FW13 collection clothing, full of rock decadent and punk glam vibes**, so I'd love to buy also his leather skirts... but my budget unluckily is not unlimited  ... so I went for an "affordable-black" alternative: this skirt by Mango new FW13 collection (which was evidently influenced by Saint Laurent FW13 one). Leather and leather skirts are an hot trend of these seasons and they are always good to add an edgy and more feminine accent to your looks. I went for this mini version with zips, I bought it online and received it few days ago, it's not "expensive black", but its quality seems ok. I'll let you know what happens after wearing it few more times... write me if you have any question, I'll be happy to answer you.
Mango Zipped Leather Skirt FW13
(Ph. Private)



  
* I'm quoting Sophie Kinsella's "Confessions Of A Shopaholic" because it's not a first time I feel like Becky Bloomwood, her protagonist  :-)...
** I also like the buckled booties of this collection...





   

Thursday, July 18, 2013

New non platform heels and white flowers








Black jacket - TOY G
Sleeveless shirt - H&M
Short - H&M
Sandals - BALLY
Straw hat - bought in Puertorico

Last weekend it was really hot and sunny... I wore all the weekend long my new Bally minimal sandals together with some shorts, the denim ones I showed you in last post, and this new entry by H&M. I matched them with a simple white shirt, a black jacket and one of my favorite summer hats, bought during a very romantic vacation in Puertorico. Very easy and fresh...


Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Navy mood: new non platform sandals and new stripes



 
(Ph. Private)
Black python sandals - BALLY
Belt - GUCCI
White Jeans Jacket - ALL SAINTS (Miami store)


Here I'm back to you, hallo! The last weeks were kinda crazy for my job, so I could only share quickly my ideas and pics about shoes & fashion with the ones that are following me on FB or Instagram (@shoebuzzbyspikeyv), but I couldn't post to this blog as I would have liked... I’m still on the run...but in this post I want to talk you about:

 1.      Slick no platform sandals: after years of platform-all-over we are now in a more fluid scenario where you can still enjoy fashionably the bold and more comfy platforms or go for the 5” heels shoes with no platform. True fashionistas were supposed to get rid of their old platforms last season according to Vogue...mmh, I bet they didn’t like me who I’m continuing to wear both :-) I bought these minimal sandals in black python by Bally* (in these sales) and I’m sporting them easily and fashionably. You could consider to buy non Platform sandals or use again the ones in your closets, if you didn't throw them away some years ago.
 
2.      Exposed Underwear: did it ever happen to you that a smart sale assistant succeeded in selling you some fabulous (and expensive) underwear flattering you “It’s so chill and sophisticated, you can also use it as a top with a jacket or a cashmere cardigan” and then you find yourself half-naked when you are not at the beach... like me in these pics... where I'm wearing a navy swimsuit by La Perla (very nice indeed and trendy too, I'm planning to use it for my next vacation).
 
3.       Girl or boyfriend shorts? I’m always curious about new trends... so I tried the new boy-meets-girl fit (the style by J Brand at the right of the picture below), but.... the boyish shorts were bulky and made my hips and legs look  unflattering large... I decided to stay on my girl fit shorts (in the pics above and left on the picture below)... watch out girls, try the new boyfriend fit before adopting it... if you are really thin and androgen it can work, otherwise more feminine styles can fit you much better...

 

 
 
 
*Bally, who? Many of you maybe don’t know much about this Swiss luxury brand dated back 1851. During these end of season sales I had the chance to buy two pairs of their sandals (with a super discount), both in python, and I’m liking their ladylike and sophisticated look. I also found out that this brand has an amazing tradition on innovation and material research... as an engineer I'm always curious about these topics...  
btw, do you know this fashion trivia?  Who was the shoe manufacturer which collaborated with NASA to develop the boots for the first moonwalk back in 1969? I didn't know it was Bally... Neil Armstrong's  "giant leap for mankind" was taken with boots made with Bally components... click here if you want to read more about Bally.
 

 

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Great shoes need great legwear



 
Net stay-ups - WOLFORD
Necklace - THE STING LONDON


Great shoes need great legwear... Do you remember this style mantra of mine? It's quite weird to talk about legwear in summer, but last Thursday night it was chilling in Milan... A perfect excuse to follow this precept and wear my loubies with one of my favorite tights...that were left in one closet of mine for a long time… what do you think? in my opinion good tights always add a sexy and "habillé" accent to any outfit. I tried many brands, but my preferred ones remain Wolford and La Perla which have a sensual and sophisticated style. As a note, Wolford quality and fit is on average better than La Perla, whose more basic styles sometimes are not so good (i.e. the elastic band of some of their stay-ups is too tight, making them very uncomfortable and your thighs look like some unflattering muffin-tops).

Uno dei miei mantra di stile e' delle belle scarpe vanno sempre abbinate adelle belle calze.... E' un po' strano parlare di calze in estate, ma giovedì scorso a Milano la temperatura si è abbassata bruscamente, così per uscire ho messo un paio delle mie calze preferite, a rete, che avevo abbandonato in un cassetto... non male secondo me... delle belle calze aggiungono sempre un tocco sexy ed "habille' a qualsiasi outfit , rinnovandolo. Ne ho provate molte, ma le mie marche di calze preferite rimangono Wolford e La Perla, che hanno sempre uno stile sexy e ricercato. WOLFORD ha una qualità mediamente superiore, almeno secondo la mia esperienza, mi è capitato che alcuni modelli meno costosi di La Perla non avessero una qualità eccezionale (ad esempio la banda dell'autoreggente troppo stretta rispetto alla taglia e quindi molto scomoda, oltre a far assomigliare le cosce a delle ben poco estetiche salsicce…).