Welcome to the World......

Okay - so this is a totally self indulgent post, but................ I became an Aunty today!

My sister gave birth to my nephew, Thomas Crawford Hunt early this evening.

I'll be flying up to Joburg to meet the 'lil guy first thing in the morning.

Am beyond excited!!!!

Happy Valentines Day

Hope you are all being spoilt rotten!! And if not - go spoil yourself..... Nothing better than a new pair of sexy black heels to fall in love with yourself all over again xoxo

ASH Spring 2011 Takes a Definite Utility Angle

Picture by The Satorialist

So I am sure that by now (unless you have totally been living under a rock) if you know anything about fashion, you'll be up to speed with the utility inspired military look. Khaki greens, washed & distressed canvases, heavy buckles, cool clogging, all give off an air of combat chic. And that's just the details in Footwear!

Divine Italian footwear brand, ASH, has recently launched their Spring Summer '11 Collection - and it is totally a nod to this type of styling. Lots of buckle details, utility inspired fabric mixing and colour palletes, distressed canvas and denims and chunky clogs. Have a look:

ASH Heidi Sandals

ASH Jezebel Open Toe Wedge Booties

ASH Hot High Heel Strappy Booties

ASH Gorgeous Denim Peep Toe High Heel Platforms

ASH Spicy Cutout High Heel Cloggs

ASH Virgin 4 Buckle Sneakers

Shoelaboration: Sophie Theallet for NW

Designer collaborations are becoming quite common place in the fashion world. One of the latest shoelaborations comes to us from our friends at Nine West. They have teamed up with french designer Sophie Theallet, launching a capsule collection of shoes, bags and a piece of jewellery or two in May this year!

The Designer with model, Chanel Iman 

Miss Theallet's pieces are often worn by the celeb set. Sophie's signature designs usually carry stripes in some form or another - as you can see form the picture from her Spring Summer 2010 Collection below.

Items from the Spring Summer 2010 Collection

And so the Nine West capsule collection has been done in two colourways of her stripe design - a pink and a chocolate version. 

The Paula Satchel

The Mary Platform

The Tinna Espadrille

The Emma Sachel

The Pila Flat

The Tinna Espadrille

Then I was flipping through the catwalk pics from the Spring Summer 2011 catwalks and found these from the designer's last range. I love the sexy double strap sandals styled below. And the criss-cross lace-up style too!

Sophie Theallet SS 2011

Sophie Theallet SS 2011

Anthropologie Catalogue Feb 2011

I don't think I will ever forget the first time I stepped into an Anthropologie store.......
It was my first trip to New York and my first time walking the wonderful streets of Soho when there she was! The beautiful mish-mash of all things gorgeously girly. And I was in love.
The dresses, the jewellery, the fabrics, the homeware, the colours - and the whole store just feels like your grandmother's house with all it's hidden gems.

Their Feb catalogue is out and had some beautiful images that give a great feel of the summer ahead.
They also had some interesting shoes to show, with a few details, colours and trims that are new, fresh and quite inspirational.

The espadrille trend is quite a big one for Summer '11 and Anthropologie have done the style above that is both so them and so on trend. Love the fact that it's a chunky heel version and not a wedge like so many other versions around. And the ditsy upper is quite fun too.

The summer boot. Another key item pegged for Summer '11 - and a nice transitional one at that. Loved this gorgeous flat leather and fabric combination - and the soft tan'like caramel colour is divine!

Here's probably the biggest item for the next season - the platform wedge. Nice concealed platform lasting detail across the vamp.

Thought the tone of red of this low wedge - cayenne pepper red they called it - is fab. Deep, rich red.

Knotted style rope-like upper on this sandal is also new and interesting. Nice construction and use of colour blocking detail too.

Lace up detailing on shoes is big. This style's heavy demi-wedge like construction is quite quirky and yet cool at the same time.

Love the mix of print, texture and colour palette inspiration!

Topshop Covets Coral

Coral is definitely coming up as one of the newest key colours for Summer 2011. This new shade of the orange family is really looking fresh and fabulous!
And Topshop has been one of the first retailers to show it in a few iterations......

Topshop Coral Diamante Star Suede Pumps

Topshop Coral Leather Clog Sandals

Topshop Winnie Coral Suede T-bar Espadrilles

In the Summer Trend Presentation I did last year, I highlighted this strong colour theme and put together the above colour board to illustrate the shades and tones that can be executed. Below are some styles that I have developed as further examples of this trend.

Club Monaco Spring Summer 2011

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If you are one for the more simple and stylish things in life, I am sure you will know about this brand. Club Monaco is a Canadian retailer that does things a little more for the classic and slightly sophisticated side of life, they are always a fave stop of mine when I am in NYC. I am almost always certain to fall in love with the lovely colour palettes, the beautiful fabrics and the feminine, yet oh so spot on trend silhouettes. Sadly, they don't really sell footwear though. Apart from a collaboration with another fave of mine, the girls over at Sigerson Morrison, where they executed a capsule collection of flats by the belle line.

The Spring 2011 look book came out last week and it totally epitomizes what this brand is about. And even though they don't do shoes - the styling did include some fabulous footwear that I wanted you to see. Some great transitional looks that are very easy to wear, and in great on-trend commodities - boots, wedges & flats . And also that cover a few of the big overall trends like cleaner looks and man style dressing.

Suede wedge boots with knitted cuff detail - gorgeous!

Love the colour of these peeptoe lace-up wedge booties - creamy caramel!

A structured loafer - so easy, so chic!

Below are some executions of the above mentioned trends that Foschini have bought into for Winter now. Some great styles that are totally of the same look and feel of the above and that if work well, could be taken further into Spring '11.

Manstyle distressed brogue shoe in the Foschini main range for March 2011

Suede desert boot on a crepe wedge done in grey and chocolate below in the Foschini Collection range for March 2011