Sexy or Slutty - Where do you stand on High Heels?

In an interview with Emine Sinmaz last month, French actress Catherine Deneuve, one of film’s all time sex symbols, challenged the notion that woman have no chance of being sexy without a pair of towering high heels.

The French actress said that mid heels are much more alluring and she consciously chose mid heels that weren’t too high when she played the role of a bourgeois housewife who became a prostitute in the film Belle de Jour (1967).  Despite an initially frosty reception from audiences and fashion experts, the shoes eventually became a huge hit with over 200,000 sold in one year to customers including Jackie Onassis and the Duchess of Windsor.  Deneuve says ‘It’s something that comes out of a slightly twisted desire which, for that matter, makes for a rather twisted way of walking.  I suspect that it has its origins in the minds of the designers, designers who have pushed the limits, who were imagining an extreme woman … nowadays a silhouette must be strong; it must create an effect, make an impact – all these powerful words.  She goes on ‘a simple well-made shoe with the perfect arch is such a pleasure.  It makes us walk differently; we feel free, emancipated, as if we can deal with life’s challenges’ and goes on to remind us that in the sixties, high-heeled shoes were ‘for women of ill repute.  They were reserved for those who were obliged by their profession to live up to a caricature’.

Well sorry Catherine, but I beg to differ:  mid-heels or flats are great for an average long day at work, serious shopping expeditions and trips to the beach, but when it comes to making a presentation at a sticky meeting, or a seriously good night out, it’s go high or go home as far as I’m concerned.  And kitten heels?  Please, destroy them all now.   Okay, so keep your high heels slender and keep them classy – these aren’t slag heels, these are weapons of power!  Victoria Beckham and Sarah Jessica Parker aren’t famed for being tarty, are they?  Seriously, once you have learned the secret of how to walk in them (toes down first, head high, hips forward), those heels are going to give you more value per inch than most other things on offer out there.  So come on girls – let’s get out there and strut our stuff whilst we can. 

Take 5, Weekly Inspirations.

Ever have a week that seems hard to get through?  Here’s five inspirational quotes I have had pinned to my wall this week to encourage me to keep going.  If you find yourself laid out with a crappy throat or some other ailment when you’re trying to hit a deadline, perhaps they’ll help you too (along with the medication!):

1. “One of the most important keys to success is having the discipline to do what you know you should, even when you don't feel like doing it.”

– Anonymous  (but this could so be one of my parents!)

2. “Many of life’s failures are experienced by people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

– Thomas Edison

3. “People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

– Apple Inc.

4. “Logic will get you from A to B.  Imagination will take you everywhere.”

– Albert Einstein

5. “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.”

- Jimmy Johnson

The Rise of Luxury

We are all continually made aware of the difficult economic state in Britain and how our high streets continue to suffer.  In the past twenty years or so our obsession with bargain hunting has grown, feeding the market for cheap, disposable fashion and high street knock-offs from catwalk shows. 

But as many of us have had to cut back on spending in the last few years, it seems that there has been a rebirth of higher-end spending on fashion items.  More of us are now saving to buy quality investment pieces rather than spending less but buying more.  Perhaps buying more, cheap, poor quality clothes is finally being recognized as an unsatisfactory quick-fix that isn’t the best way to spend the fewer pennies in many of our purses?

For many of us, buying into a luxury or heritage brand feels both safer and an investment.  Collaborations between high street brands and luxury designers/celebrities - such as H&M’s collections with Lanvin and now Beyonce,  have struck a balance between style/quality and price, convincing buyers of their worth.  Although these clothes are around 20%-40% pricier than other collections in store, you get the designer or celebrity influence at a manageable cost - how clever!  That these high street brands are showing at fashion events alongside big designer names retains our confidence, encouraging us to visit the pricier areas of their shops and reach deeper into our pockets. 

The creation of luxury collections within high street brands is also proving successful.  We can see this with the sell-out of Topshop Unique’s clothing lines and with the main buzz at this year’s AW13 fashion week: River Island’s collaboration with Rihanna.  

Will we one day say goodbye to fast fashion shops?  I for one will be happy to wave goodbye to Primark and welcome a wardrobe of well thought out and beautifully made clothing. 

Is Paris on the move?

Paris Couture doesn’t just conjure up images of beautiful clothing, but also of an imagined Parisian lifestyle created from visits, romantic films and beautiful photography.  Buying into Parisian couture houses is not just about the clothes (lucky you) or the perfume, lipstick or nail polish, it’s also about buying into a little bit of Paris and its lifestyle, whether realistic or idealistic!  However in reality not all Paris couturier houses are based in Paris or even France.

Let’s take Céline for example: This French couture house, founded in 1945, is now run under the creative direction of Phoebe Philo and is based in London today.  The revived brand emphasizes a polished, elegant look which fits the chic Paris style – but is it becoming more British?  Does the fact that it is not being produced in Paris mean it is no longer the real thing?

Moving on to Yves Saint Laurent, now known as Saint Laurent Paris, and we see another example of Paris Couture stepping outside French borders.  Since 2012 the brand has been run under Hedi Slimane who rebranded the company as Saint Laurent Paris- yet has her design studios in Los Angeles!  YSL took inspiration from Paris subcultures, with Yves often breaking the rules in fashion - but how can the brand claim the same origins if it is no longer located among the Paris subcultures? 

Call me a purist, but I like the idea that if you are buying from a French fashion house, the designs will come from that country and as much of the brand as possible will be embedded within the culture of that country.  I know various elements will be drawn from all over the world to bring the final product into being, but for goodness sake... the French have always sought to protect their language and their produce, to maintain their proud heritage and maintain quality standards.  Legislation means only bubbles fermented in Champagne can be called Champagne; the famous brandy Cognac is another example of strict control guaranteeing a particular level of quality.  So please, s’il vous plait, let’s keep those images of Paris and the fabulous history of its fashion houses central to the future of Paris Couture and bring these fashion houses home.  Merci bien.  

//Photography by Norman Parkinson 'Cardin Hat over Paris' 1960

Take 5, Weekly Inspirations.

Five things that have inspired me this week:

//Photography by Lillie Cooper

All Saints - The Biker Project

All Saints.  OK – so it’s not an independent, but this one is certainly an individual store …..

Funnily enough, two stores down from Bolongaro Trevor I found myself on the doorstep of an All Saints concept store.  Although I have always liked the design and interiors of their stores, this one particularly caught my eye as it looked more like an exhibition than a shop – and is!

-   The 50 piece exhibition shows leather jackets hanging from the ceiling and nothing else except a few pairs of shoes lined up on the floor and two seating areas.  I had to ask what the store was about!

-   This store holds ‘The Biker Project’, a new concept and the first store to do it- it displays all one off designs specially made to auction.  The auction winner will have one tailor made personally for them.  Bidding starts at £1000 for plain leather and £2000 for special leather, it is rumored that Johnny Depp has his eye on three!

-   The biker jacket was chosen for this first project as All Saints feels it is an iconic statement piece for their brand.

-   Before the auction staff will be travelling to Miami, LA and Berlin to put together a client list of all those interested, although dates are not confirmed.  If you leave your name and number you will be phoned with the dates nearer the time.

-   Downstairs you can see items from current and new collections two weeks before they go into all other All Saints stores.

-   This is the only store where you can see this project and exhibition – what a good find!!  

//Photography by Lillie Cooper