Shoe of the Week
Rodarte - Mary Janes





Of late I've noticed a mini trend on the streets that seems to be rubbing off on me too...MARY JANES (no not weed - ha! check Urban Dictionary's definition) the style of shoe that featured on a number of runway shows in the season just gone. Rodarte's Mary Janes were beautiful, metallic and platformed. The reason I love Mary Janes in general? the fact that they have a secure strap around the ankle which helps you avoid those inevitable trip ups on the uneven streets  that plague London. For the SS16 collection Rodarte collaborated with Swarovski creating an extremely sparkly look which complimented the clothing on the runway, they're probably a bit much for a day ensemble, but totally great for an evening look.








F - Rodarte
Advanced Style 
The Documentary


I absolutely LOVED this documentary! I caught this gem of a watch on Netflix (obvs) It had me in tears of laughter in one moment to understanding the great sacrifices these extraordinary women had taken in their fight for individuality the next. I found my self in awe of their determination, and inevitably made me reflect on the people in my life that shaped my idea of fashion and sense of unique style. Fashion has always been an important part of my family. My mum has always been a very classy lady, even now she is always well turned out for work even if it does take 3 outfit changes, for her age she looks immaculate and often passes as mine and Krissy's sister, if we are out in town. It's safe to say she has aged beautifully. My dad was the same, he had an eye for a well tailored suit or shirt and printed shirts were his favourite. He loved a great suit and I always felt proud of how much pride he took in his appearance, he loved great quality which often equated to italian tailoring this with age became something that he became accustomed to with the many family holidays we took around Italy. With age my mum and dads styling became more and more refined, they knew what they liked and felt comfortable with their image, I always enjoyed seeing my parents and sister  looking trendy because it went against the grain of what some might imagine a 'typical' indian family to look like.  Footwear had always been a massive thing in my family, especially leather ones - which i guess stemmed from the lack of luxury mum and dad both endured growing up in Kenya and India until they moved to London. In their day leather was considered a luxury to own so in turn acquiring such items was a big deal - after all we're all teenagers once, we all desire that one special item - for mum and dad it was leather goods from jackets to shoes. (I just found out recently that my mums first job was working in leather tanneries) Which could explain my curiosity in footwear and leather pieces. This documentary not only explored peoples individuality but why and what influenced their way of dressing. Definitely worth a watch, there is something inspiring about watching the way seniors command themselves in an age where people have become obsessed with mimicking celebs over expressing themselves uniquely.







Charity Heels





Who says fashion can't be charitable? I came across Charity Heels about 6 months ago via Instagram and I absolutely love the concept behind it! I'm all about giving back and being a good person (its my daily mantra) and what better way of doing it than buying shoes and seeing some of the proceeds go to charity? The great thing about Charity Heels is that they have a great collection of designer heels that are what I like to call 'pre loved' but in great condition. Head to the website to see their collection - They could be those exclusive or sold out heels that you'd been looking for!



SHOE OF THE WEEK
Balmain x H&M 



Highlight of the week in fashion world has to be the Balmain x H&M show, it was everything and more, the jaw dropping runway event had every modern supermodel you could think of and in true Balmain style, Rousteing designed a collection that was versatile for fashion obsessed girls - which I'm sure will fly of the rails and shop floors as usual with huge collaborations like this. For the girls who feel the collection was a bit too outlandish for them, they could own accessories - GORGEOUS ACCESSORIES. Which is where shoe of the week comes in! The footwear for this collection is  more commercial, and wearable in comparison to their usual elaborate weaved footwear that graced the catwalk just a couple weeks back. My favourites have to be the thigh high boots just because of the season we are in but the Plaited/weaved sandals are just beautiful which have been appropriately crowned Shoe of the Week. Here are some close ups of whats available in the collection. Just remember that when this collection hits the stores, unless you decide to camp over night, getting your hands on any of these items may become difficult! JUST BE READY!







Aminah Abdul Jillil






I have been eagerly awaiting the Jillil shoe collection ever since she became renowned for her Bow Pumps; practically every one in fashion wanted a pair and they were on every girls wish list. I first set eyes on them when Aimee Song paired the red Bow Pumps up with a beautiful Red Valentino dress that was just gorgeous! I can imagine the next collection will be just as show stopping as her debut - I cannot wait!

Chiara Ferragni







I have long been a Chiara Ferragni fan girl, her style is personal and unique to her body type; tall and slim just like me, which was the first reason she caught my eye. Now that she has amassed a huge following from fashionistas, bloggers and huge fashion houses I find my self in awe of not only her style but the empire she has built from scratch. From self branding and promotion to her footwear collection everything has her personal touch, right down to design and style. I've avidly watched her footwear collection blossom into 'must have' shoes seasons over and I still don't tire from them. They add that little bit of character and pizzazz that is much needed when you look down at your feet!

Court Shoe Process



So a couple of weeks ago I embarked upon my first pair of court shoes WITHOUT help! Going through the process from pattern making to lasting and completing the whole shoe with heels all by myself. If I hadn't been faffing around and brought the right tools in with me to the studio, I think the whole process would have taken me around a day and a half. I came to sections that I was super nervous about especially the stitching since its one of the most noticeable features on a shoe - I took my time and managed to thankfully  achieve a pretty smart finish which I was happy with. I have been assisting the classes for around 6 months now and while I've been able to aid people in the classes at different stages of the process I haven't felt confident enough to be able to go through the whole process without needing help from Toni or Amanda who are the lead teachers in the classes. Within the last month or so it just suddenly clicked into place; I knew what I had to do at every stage - and as the age old saying goes; practice makes perfect. I'm still quite far from my idea of a perfectly made pair of shoes but I'm sure on my way. There is tonnes to improve on, and in retrospect I would have picked a completely different leather as what I had chosen was pretty thick, making seams and folding allowances super bulky, adding to that an even more difficult task of lasting the leather which is never easy. BUT with all this said, I'm glad to have learnt this lesson early - sort of chucking my self in the deep end to start off with which, in turn has taught me more about working with leather. Since I've finished that pair for my mum, I've made sure that I always have a pair of shoes on the go so that I'm constantly brushing up on my skills and making each new pair better than the last! I will not give up until they are perfect!

If you'd like to stay up to date with what I'm up to at the studio you can follow me on snap chat where I take most of my process pictures : kirennmodi 



Save Your Sole


Save your Sole does exactly what it says on the tin. They take care of the red soles that so many of you have spent your hard earned money on. Red soles have become a house hold name and with so many purchased on a yearly basis I can only imagine the damage inflicted on the poor soles. Save your Sole offer a red paint along with a durable and protective red rubber sole so for Louboutin lovers this is an accessory you can't go with out! The whole set including the paint brush comes to £30 which is a small cost to keep your Louboutins looking alive. Save your Sole doesn't only cater for red soles, they have a selection of different coloured rubber sole attachments and also have an invisible grip sticker to keep your soles intact - definitely worth giving them a try!

Irregular Choice 






As the name would suggest the shoes you'd find here are not for the faint hearted. If you are looking for something that screams character and quirk Irregular house is your best bet. Now I have to admit I first heard of this brand a couple months back (embarrassingly late) when a student on one of the courses I was assisting at ICMS had mentioned them. Now while they're probably not my style of shoe I have to commend the creativity and imagination behind these shoes. It's pretty well know that some of the  best shoe designers in the industry are men, Dan Sullivan the creator of Irregular Choice started in 1999 and has never looked back. With 4 concept stores and a number of 'store in store' shops the brand has grown rapidly. Colourful and humorous are two words that describe the brand perfectly - embellished heels, ornate woodcarvings, tiny intricate charms and lavish fabrics is an Irregular Choice trademark. At a reasonable price, this is where you need to go to find THAT pair of very unique shoes you are searching for.






Esteban Cortazar




Fashion month is over, and it finished with a blast! With my eye on the shoes through out the shows I came across some extravagant beauties, but these Esteban Cortazar platforms caught my eye and stayed with me, which is why they have been crowned shoe of the week! I've always loved embellishment and especially on shoes to add that little bit of sparkle everyone needs to brighten up their day! The colour palette for the shoes matched the collection and completed the whole collection beautifully. I'll be the first person to admit that I hadn't heard of this designer before, so scrolling through all the shows really paid off as I wouldn't have found this gem of a designer. I'm totally mesmerised by these shiny sparkly numbers!







The Director - An Evolution of Three Acts




As of late James Franco has been given a pretty bad wrap, but before the current stint of bad publicity in the press (I know - 'there's no such thing as bad publicity in showbiz') Franco produced  an intimate and informative documentary on the former Gucci creative Director Frida Gianni. Now I know some times when Gucci is mentioned the first thing that pops up into ones imagination is the (sometimes tacky) "GG" logo but during Gianni's time at the label she completely turned around the image of the Gucci girl. The documentary, as the title suggests, goes through to the run up of fashion week, the meticulous planning involved with clothing footwear and accessories giving you unbridled access the Gucci world. Head over to Netflix or Youtube to catch this insightful documentary in all its glory.


Manish Arora


Watching the Manish Arora runway show always makes me proud, and even more so on a runway in Paris. His shows are always colourfully magical and definitely highlight parts of his heritage. His shoes follow suit. They compliment the collection beautifully and stand alone as great statement heels too which is why he is so good at what he does. With black always a statement in many women wardrobes, Arora injects that bold amount of colour that is always needed. This seasons collection is just what you might need for next summers wardrobe.