Melissa booties

Melissa has become a must-visit stop for me at trade shows. This is a company that’s taken a very well-worn concept and reenergized it with some very savvy collabos and careful distribution. Plus I have a now-no-longer-secret-vendor-crush on Melissa’s U.S. distributor, Charles Gepp, who is warm, charming and smart.  As he said to me, “We’re not as dumb as we look” about some of the collabos and exclusive retail partnerships the company has made happen. They’re on the hunt now for a U.S. designer to collaborate with.  Ya gotta hope they somehow snag Mr. Jacobs for it.

Several more styles on the other side, including three Vivianne Westwood collabos.

Take a look at my favorite pieces by Alissa Frazer’s Agriento Designs. The flower and butterfly rings are amazing !

More on the next page.

DC LIFE Admiral: Fall 2009

DC Shoes had some great thing happening for women for Fall ‘09. Like a lot of brands, the focus has moved from bright color pop and patterns to tone-on-tone colors that emphasize contrasting fabrications. The result for DC is a shoe that looks standard issue from afar, but jumps out upon closer inspection. UPDATE: I’m told by Ida that these hightops are the very first DC LIFE offerings for women. The style is called the Admiral and it was inspired by the popularity of the same in the men’s line. Joseph Ntomp designed the shoe and Collette Gangemi colored the women’s version.

On the other side is DC marketing rep Ida Khabazian modeling a DC dress, and then holding a cute cropped leather jacket. I was struggling with a post-party vodka haze when I visited the booth and she totally woke me up and cheered my day. She is just great, plain and simple.  Funny coincidence story:  after the show I was at a sushi bar and started chatting with my barmate. I was showing him some of the stuff I liked from the show, including the DC jacket, and whoops, turns out the random dude was one of the co-founders of DC! It’s a teeny tiny world we occupy!

Named after the portugal island of Palmeira, the Okino Heels by Yotam Salomon, defy gravity and volume with  sexiness. One of the most futuristic sandals we have seen in while. Available at  Shopflick.

A closer look on the next page.

We attended the Fahrd Fosté  Autumn/Winter 2009 collection titled Cosmos Same-Part 1: Femme. Designed by Hasan Foster. The collection was a journey into a futuristic society of ” identical  creatures, clones and cyborgs , where humanity retreats to the underground in search of a life of meaning away from the hand of regulation, uniformity and in the hope of finding true love: contact.”

A closer look on the next page.

During the (Capsule) show in Las Vegas Highsnobette got to get an early viewing of Ladyboy shoes. Primarily showing flats, the collection has a serious menswear vibe. For Ladyboy it’s all about the small details that add up to create a major statement. For instance, a red lining, a super sexy cut out revealing the ankle, and a skinny fit hugging the curve of one’s foot perfectly. Each pair from the collection could easily transition from day to night making them the perfect addition to the shoe closet of those stiletto shy ladies out there.

More from Ladyboy after the jump.

Fred Perry was started as an athletic wear company and has since grown into a street wear staple. While it is their menswear collection that usually gets press, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had kicked it up a notch for their womenswear fall 2009 line. In fact, I pretty much fell in love with a dozen or so pieces so much so that last night I actually dreamt about their leather pencil skirt. Butter soft leather, a small laurel detail (Fred Perry’s infamous logo), and a peek-a-boo hot pink satin lining, all add up to a dream purchase.  They make a matching jacket as well, creating a suit for the younger set with a serious edge. The line was all about taking modern approaches on classics. One major piece, a black trench, with added patent leather elbow patches as well as detailing on the collar, had a futuristic feel. The accessories were killing it and the knit wear looked so refined and cool. Overall the collection was bananas and at the top of my list for must haves for Fall ‘09.

Be sure to hit up the jump for a preview of Fred Perry Fall 2009.

Of course I visited the Tokidoki booth while at Magic last week. HighSnobette is a long-time fan of Italian designer Simone and it’s always fun to see what he’s cooking up. New on the menu? A so-cute children’s line and Tokidoki and Asics next shoe collabo (which we couldn’t photograph, but will see in mid-March so hang tight. It’s cute and includes boots this time!).

Flip to the other side to see many more tees, the kid’s line and a HelloKitty collabo necklace.

 Terri Potratz, based in Canada created  Larry,  a collection of handmade chunky  alpaca accessories, that provide well needed warmth,  comfort , style and,  the perfect balance of edginess and boho-chic.  I’m totally smitten!

A closer look at my fave pieces on the next page.

The latest installment of Booji, the Regal One Ninja Black, lined with black dry-tech with molded EVA rubber-padded outsole.

A closer look on the next page.