Espadrille Mania

The 11th of April was the beginning of my USA holiday count down. With 2 months to go (yes I know the count down has started early! Im just super excited to get back into some sun!) I have decided to plan my footwear, especially the ones I want to make. I know that espadrilles are huge hit in the summer, and with new trends always changing the style of them, I thought now would be the best time to get started. (the stitching is always time consuming) Yesterday I did just that, I started by designing the patterns and cutting them out and then on to the stitching. I took a few shots along the way, so you could see how its done! Enjoy!

Porthia London

I have been meaning to post about this fresh new brand for a little while now, and since i've had a little time to unwind in Curacao I thought now would be the best time. I initially started following this brand through instagram because a friend told me to follow them, I always love hearing about new brands because it allows you to mix up your shoedrobe and consequently your wardrobe. Seeing a brands progression and growth is something that both excites and overwhelms me mostly because I know how far I have to go, but also seeing the benefits of taking a (calculated) risk: success with your passion. With passion comes confidence which is exactly what this brand prides its self on. With their debut collection for Autumn Winter 15 doing so well I was excited to see what they had in store for SS16 - and yes it got my seal of approval. I absolutely adored their Wednesday heel for AW15 and this season they have hit the nail on the head with their gorgeous flat ballet pumps. They are definitely worth a follow/snoop on Facebook\Instgram to see what else the brand has up its sleeve.

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.

B - www.advancedstyle.blogspot.co.uk

View from the Topp

As you can imagine, people in the arts and creative fields use Instagram and Pinterest as not only a way to keep up to date with the daily going ons of their friends and loved ones but for inspiration and creativity. I regularly come across blogger accounts that I absolutely adore and admire and the ones that stand out are often ones that stay consistent and have great photography - because lets face it thats what Instagram and Pinterest is all about. Most recently I have come across View from the Topp, Kate Brien gives you a regular update from her view (you've guessed it) from the top - of her shoes. The reason she is different? her Instagram posts are solely for that purpose; her view, and the eclectic flooring she manages to find as a backdrop for her various shoes. Definitely one to follow, if not for the footwear then for the gorgeous interior /setting inspo!

W - www.viewfromthetopp.com

F - View from the Topp

T - @VIEWFROMTHETOPP

I - @viewfromthetopp

Shoe of the Week

Etro Sandals

From Etro's 2013 collection I still haven't gotten over these beauts! Though they're a statement for any outfit they are also extremely classic for the summer. Leather weaving, with a slight gladiator feel will always stay in fashion as summer sandals. I have chosen this particular colour way for shoe of the week just for the bold contrast between the black and white leather. Other colour ways that were available and just as amazing were a tan and white weave pair and also a dark biege and white weave - to check out the different colour ways these shoes are available in go to our High Heels High Hopes Pinterest account that I'm slowly developing!

W - www.etro.com

F - Etro Official

T - @etroofficial

I - @etro_official

SHOE OF THE WEEK

'WAYLAND'

There will always be a very special place in my heart for Reiss, 1) it was one of my dads favourite shops and it always reminds me of him and 2) during my uni days I used to work on Saturdays and Sundays in the flagship store on Barrett Street as a sales assistant. I know people often have terrible memories of pain staking hours spent on your feet all day Saturday and Sunday (usually made more of a struggle because of the heavy drinking the night before) but I genuinely enjoyed working there. Changing room duty was one of my particularly favourite jobs to do because it meant helping customers pick out clothes and most conveniently of all standing right next to the shoe and accessories section! The shoes were always so well designed and I always looked forward to new season stock. My work colleagues and I absolutely adored all the shoes and we would all discuss which ones we were going to buy with our next wage and they have brought that feeling back all over again with the 'Wayland'. It has ticked all the boxes for this seasons trends, I just adore them, the monochrome theme is still a trail blazer and I just love the organic pattern on the front. It's sure to jazz up any outfit - be it a casual day time ensemble or an elegant wedding event.

www.reiss.com

F - Reiss

T - @REISS

I - @reissfashion

Internship Update

Its probably been about a month since I last updated you guys with my internship journey - A LOT has happened and mainly its been all about  experimenting with leathers. I have looked into making a number of leather accessories and while I may be a novice pattern maker I have learnt a hell of a lot in terms of getting to understand the qualities of different grades of leather. The most notable accessories I have been working on are; a leather card holder  for the other half (no easy job - I think I made about 5 different prototypes and templates before I was happy with it). I have also ventured in to making small clutch bags, which are very classic in design and carry the essentials every girl needs on a night out - I have been prototyping the last few days and have also been leather shopping (I will be sending out clutch bags to my most loyal readers when I'm happy with the final look of the products so keep your eyes and ears peeled if you are one of them!)  Everything hand made of course!

Last but not least, Amanda (founder of I can Make Shoes) and I have been working on designing and hand making a range of summer sandals. Yesterday we managed to finish a pair of espadrilles we had in mind that were simple to achieve and bang on trend from this summer season. We stuck to a basic 'slider' (a.k.a slipper) that just helped to reinforce our understanding of the running stitch that attached the leather panel to the espadrille sole. I would like to say the whole process was extremely therapeutic but that word doesn't even come close to describing the zen like feeling that came over me while I was stitching! Have a look through the pics below and let us know what you think of the sliders! I will start posting more pics when the accessories are developed a bit further. I hope you enjoy scrolling through!