Zappos – Downtown Magazine

Alexander White

From August 5th to 7th, The Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFaNY) held its New York Shoe Expo at the Hilton Midtown Hotel. With over 300 footwear manufacturers, representing 800 brands, DOWNTOWN was able to get a first hand look at the upcoming Spring/Summer 2015 collections.

Among the hundreds of unique designers putting their creativity to work, DOWNTOWN has narrowed our favorites down to four designers to keep an eye on: Alexander White, Pikolinos, Ivylee, and Carolinna Espinosa.

If Carrie Bradshaw was still walking the streets of New York, Alexander White heels would surely be found on her feet. This London designer was our biggest find during FFaNY. He debuted his new collection, pairing classy heels with the perfect amount of edge. Coming from a very strong background in fashion, White has previously worked in the design department at Kurt Geiger. White incorporates strappy sandals, pointed toes, and leopard prints in daily wear. We especially love his criss-cross strap sandals, versatile for both work and play! Make sure to keep an eye on the look out for this up-and-coming designer.

Pikolinos

For a more casual shoe, check out Olivia Palermo’s preferred sandals (she was even in the campaign), Pikolinos: the best daytime sandals and wedges made from the finest, quality leather. When picking a shoe up, it felt lighter than air. If you’re into the laid back look, we seriously recommend these. Unlike Alexander White, Pikolinos was founded in 1984, and we’re starting to see more and more of their sandals. Nordstrom is a primary location to snag a pair, but you can also find them online on Zappos.com or the Pikolinos website.

Ivylee

Ivylee, another lovely leather brand seriously reeled us in. Based in Copenhagen, these boots, sandals, and heels are not only cool and hip, but they’re also high-quality shoes, made to last. Ivylee boots were worn in the Hunger Games, so you know they’re killer. Sticking with neutral colors, designer Kristine Holgaard, makes her footwear diverse; you can wear them anywhere, with anything.

Carolinna Espinosa

Last, but certainly not least, we checked out what Carolinna Espinosa had in store for this upcoming Spring/Summer ’15 season. Carolinna Espinosa is a brand that sticks with the classics. The heels and flats are quite simple, yet always feature a small detail like a thin silver strap across a nude heel. Carolinna Espinosa completely transforms each shoe, keeping it modern and sleek, yet dainty and elegant. Carolinna Espinosa heels can be worn by teens, adults, and the more seasoned ladies, making them a go-to for any occasion.

DOWNTOWN Magazine was thrilled to be at the FFaNY last week and cannot wait to attend next year’s shoe expo to see what’s to come!

– Irene Bogdan

The larger-than-life former Editor-at-Large for Vogue Andre Leon Talley, who parted with the magazine roughly a year ago has signed on to be Artistic Director for Zappos’s couture website.

Since his departure from Vogue, Tally has been busy working as Editor-at-Large for the Russian version of Numéro magazine. There was even mention of a television show, the details of which have yet to be revealed. Most recently he interviewed Diane von Furstenberg for Entertainment Tonight.

Zappos Couture has been on the internet since 2004, but has had a difficult time getting luxury brands and designers to feature their producst on the site. “I have some amazing relationships with a lot of CEOs of these [luxury] companies, but he brings something else to the table, and that’s his relationship with the designers,” the head of Zappos Couture told fashionista.com.

“I took the job because I felt that this was a new experiment that I needed to have going toward the future because digital and online is so important in today’s world,” Mr. Talley told The New York Times telling the paper that that the job will change his perception of products. “I was looking at shoes at the store I just left today, and I didn’t think, ‘Oh, those shoes I like,’ ” he said. “I thought, ‘Will that customer respond to that shoe in a picture on their computer?’ ”

The company is hoping that the addition of Talley with his resume will bring the website a boost in the public eye.

Talley will be in charge of directing and and cultivating the site’s creative vision with editorial content that includes an increased focus on video content.

—Alejandro Ramos