DesignPhiladelphia

The leaves are changing, the weather is cooling (well, it’s raining), and design is in the air!  DesignPhiladelphia, a nationally recognized, open participation festival celebrating design, is back for its ninth year.  It showcases the role that design has played historically in this region, and celebrates Philadelphia’s contemporary significance as a center for creative advancement.

There are a ton of events between now and October 18 (over a hundred!).  Like Society of Pythagoras (formerly of Hidden City).  The Rabid Hands Art Collective has transformed Hawthorne Hall, a former vaudeville theater turned fraternal lodge turned church, into the “Society of Pythagoras,” using materials collected on-site and around the city. Collective members explore the tangled history of the fraternal lodges that once made the site their home, drawing from past and present secret spiritual and fraternal customs to create a mysterious, multi-storied club built on ritual and exploration.  Tonight at 6 PM!

The Salem by Kate Spade is evocative of the geometric shapes in Society of Pythagoras.  (There’s one room that’s like a triangley Aggro Crag.  It’s super cool.)  Blues, reds, and pinks cover the blocky 3.5-inch heel, the straps at the toe (and the bow on top!), and the straps around the ankle.  Find them at Nordstrom for $298.

Or go to Ristorante Panorama instead for a book signing for Meat America, an eye-opening and artery-closing visual essay on the American spirit, as told through meat!  Not kidding—Elvis in steak.  Tidbits about Abraham Lincoln’s butchering skills.  Even a Liberty Bell out of what looks like meatloaf!  Freedom is delicious.

Know what else is delicious?  Bacon.  These flip flops appear to be covered in strips of crispy bacon, and you can pick black or white straps and footbeds.  (Mmm, now I want bacon.)  Yours for $36 from Zazzle.

On Sunday, head over to the Penn Museum for C.U.R.V.V., an exhibit will consist of 12 handmade gowns inspired by the art work currently on display at the museum. The collection will focus mainly on the Egyptian sector of the museum, which was assembled through nearly a century of archaeological research.

The Shoreline by Naughty Monkey is just a beautiful sandal.  It is evocative of both ancient Egyptian footwear and the Nile River, what with the undulating gold upper.  I hope it warms up again, so you can wear them before winter!  Yours for $52 from Zappos.

DesignPhiladelphia runs between now and next Friday.  Go!  Explore!  Experience design!

Sales this weekend:
Aerosoles: Up to 25% off boots
Call it Spring: Extra 20% off all in-season styles
Lord & Taylor: 25% off one pair of boots; 30% off two or more pairs
Macy's: 20% off one pair, 25% off two pairs, 30% off three or more pairs
Nine West: Buy one, get one half off
Payless: Fall fashion sale-- up to 30% off

Fall Trend: Plaid

Perhaps the biggest trend this fall is plaid.  Not exactly surprising, given how tied it is to the image of academia and with school starting anew in the fall, but the print is popping up in anything-but-stuffy places!

I love the Flutter by VivienneWestwood.  I love everything about it.  I love the colors in the plaid, I love the curves in the cut of the foot opening and in the leather at the toe, I love the punch detailing.  It has a 4.75-inch heel and a 1.5-inch platform, and can be yours for $485 on Zappos.

The Anarchic Combat Boot by T.U.K. goes the other direction, with a bright red plaid textile on a classic combat boot.  (For a Scottish army?)  The sole is about an inch high all around, and the shaft is just about five inches tall... this is a statement boot if ever I saw one!  Find them at Nordstrom for $78.

The Bluefish Boat Shoe by Sperry Top Sider is so lovely-- mellow by stylish at the same time.  It says, "I'm just kicking back, but I'm far too fabulous to wear just anything on my day off."  The pink leather upper is set off nicely by the jewel tones in the plaid around the back-- emerald and indigo and raspberry and gold.  (...and red and yellow and green and brown and blue.)  Yours for $75 from DSW.

Ooh, sexy!  The Aldenore is school-girl-pinup to the max, with its 5.5 inch heel-- a super skinny heel!  (A 1.75-inch platform helps with the walking.)  Also available in a black/nude lace and a black and white snakeskin, but I'm really digging the plaid.  Your choice for $45 from Call it Spring.

How fun are these?  The Tickle Me Pink by Naughty Monkey is a plaid party!  The upper is a cheery red and blue (so is the pretty rose at the peep toe), and the five-inch heel and 1.25-inch platform are gold glitter!  Aaah, the sparkles!  Also available in a red and black plaid with black sparkles, which is equally as fun, and since they're on sale for $30 from 6pm, why not get a pair of each?

So consider this your plaid primer for the season.  More fall trends to come!

Sales this weekend:

Bakers: 30% off all dress shoes

Bus Stop Boutique: Bus Stop Boutique is part of Philly Mag Shops this Sunday from 12-4 PM at the Crane Arts Building (tickets are $25)

Lord & Taylor: 20% off regular and sale with code SHOP

Macy's: Fall spectacular sale

Payless: Fall fashion sale-- up to 30% off

Fall Trend: Fringe

Fall shoes are in stores, so I’m sure you’re already seeing some of this fall’s biggest trends.  Today, I give you... fringe!  Fringe is everywhere this season: clothes, bags, even on shoes.  It’s on boots, of course:

The Burlesque by Mojo Moxy is fringe, sophisticated.  (No hippie boot, this!)  This pull-on boot has a camel leather upper, three tiers of angled fringe up the 15-inch shaft, a round toe on a hidden 1.5-inch platform, and a five-inch heel.  (It also has a 15-inch leg circumference.)  Also available in red and black; yours for $160 from Shoes.com.

But it’s also on booties...

The High Heel Fringe Ankle Boot is pretty self-explanatory, isn’t it?  This black fabric bootie is draped in two long layers of fringe—it looks more fringe than boot!  Just imagine how it moves.  It’s on a little platform and has a skinny 4.5-inch heel, and can be found at Zara for $100.

... cowboy boots...

Rockin’.  The Jamestown by Volatile is a red leather cowboy boot topped with bleak leather fringe.  (And lightening cutouts!  Look at those!)  It has a 1.5-inch stacked heel, a 12.5-inch shaft, and a 15-inch circumference—find them at Zappos for $115.

...uh, whatever these are...

The Sonya by Penny Loves Kenny is a sort of clog/sandal, with a kickin’ wooden platform!  Two inches under the peep toe and 5.5 inches at the heel.  The yellow leather upper has a slingback and studs up the wood, and of course the fringe across the front!  Also available in black and tan; your choice for $40 from 6pm.

...even pumps!

I feel like I see something new in the Cascade by Naughty Monkey every time I look at it.  The fringe arcs around the heel, suspended from a burgundy and black snakeskin strip, embellished with studs.  The snakeskin makes an appearance in the triple-decker one-inch platform too, offsetting the 4.75-inch heel.  Very cool!  Find them at DSW for $100.

However you like your fringe, there’s a shoe for you.  And if you love fringe, this is your season!

Philly Beer Week

Hooray!  It’s Philly Beer Week!  This week we celebrate all things beer.  We enjoy brews from both far and near, special dishes that complement or feature our favorite suds, and have an all-around good time at pubs, restaurants, and beer gardens throughout our fair city.

In the spirit of the week, I give you shoes inspired by three local beers!  First up, Red Fish by Flying Fish Brewing Company:

“Red Fish is a West Coast hoppy red ale.  Columbus, Chinook, and Cascade hops give the beer a robust piney nose.  Two-row, crystal, and cara-red malts give the beer a malty background and a 7% abv.”

Laid back and sassy at the same time, the Monet by Ros Hommerson would be perfect under jeans.  (What? It’s chilly this week! Well, chilly-ish.  But don’t let that stop you from enjoying one of the outdoor events, like Thursday’s Sansom Street Soiree—live music, beer trucks (including Flying Fish), and BBQ from 3:00 PM til midnight!)  Sorry; got distracted there.  But back to the shoes!  They can be found at Endless for about $42.  I like how the zebra print evokes waves (perfect for fish, flying or otherwise!) but it's available in a bunch of other prints, including a super-adorable multi-colored polka dot.

Since I adore fruity beers, Sly Fox’s Black Raspberry Reserve:

 “An unforgettable wheat ale brewed with German Pils and Wheat malts and Tradition hops, with 1 lb. of red and black raspberries per gallon of beer. This beer features a tart finish and a sugary sorbet aroma.”  Mmmm.

Black raspberry red, spiky stud thorns—the Day Dreamin by Naughty Monkey sure fits the bill for a raspberry beer!  It also has a 4.75-inch heel, one-inch platform, and tan leather straps—look at the cut-out detailing around the peep toe!  Love.  Find them at Zappos for $90.

And by request (a year in the waiting!), Midas Touch by Dogfish Head:

“This sweet yet dry beer is made with ingredients found in 2,700-year-old drinking vessels from the tomb of King Midas. Somewhere between wine and mead, Midas will please the chardonnay and beer drinker alike.”

The Willy by Chinese Laundry is fit for royalty indeed!  Gold straps winding around the toe, curving around the 3.5-inch heel, and circling the ankle—this is one beautiful shoe.  Yours for $50 from Macy’s.

Whatever’s in your glass, raise it high for Philly Beer Week!

Philly Beer Week runs through Sunday, and there are tons of events to choose from—tap takeovers, beer dinners, even a 5K on Sunday.  Do whichever will make you “hoppy”!  (Ah, bad puns.  Love them.)

Boots Fur Fall

Fall is here! (Officially. As of today. I know it doesn’t exactly feel like it out there, what with the like 160% humidity, but trust me—fall is here!) One of my favorite trends for fall: fur. It’s everywhere! It’s luxurious, it’s fun (and for you vegan types, it’s fake). Treat yourself with some fur this fall! Maybe these:

The Fur-Trimmed Wedge Booties have a half-inch platform, 3.5-inch heel, and is made of faux fur and faux leather. Priced at $45; find them at Bare Feet Shoes.

  Oh, how I love these!! The Henriq by Nina have a twelve-inch shaft (seven inches in diameter) covered in fur and laced with ribbon embellishments. They also have a one-inch platform and five-inch heel—these are some seriously beautiful boots. Like a ballerina in a Moscow winter. They can be yours for $179 from Macy’s.

  The Osage by GUESS are so sophisticated—a 4.5-inch heel, three-quarter-inch platform, and a leather upper with buckles and straps. Available in bisque (shown) or black; find them at Nordstrom for $159.


Rock star fur—badass! The Fur ee Bootie by Two Lips have a five-inch stiletto (look at that spike!), one-inch platform, silver buckles... these are some powerful boots. Find them at DSW for $120.

  The Purr by Naughty Monkey look classic from the front, but are a little punky from the back. They come in a bunch of colors if the gray isn’t your thing (black, taupe, and chocolate with beige)—find them all on Amazon for $90.

Sales this weekend: 
Bus Stop Boutique: Open house tonight, 5:30-8:30! 15% off
Macy’s: Hot List Sale (20-50% off)
Nine West: Free standard shipping on any purchase; limited time
Steve Madden: Free shipping on orders over $75 using code SMFREESHIP
Lord & Taylor: 20% off one pair, 25% off two pairs, 30% off three pairs