Shoe Porn Friday: Christian Louboutin's "Bow Bow"
ChristianLouboutin.com

I have been crazy about these shoes ever since I saw them on Annabelle Dexter-Jones at the Chanel Artists Dinner. I love how girly and classic they are and how the PVC not only makes it look as if the bows were floating in the air but how it adds a contemporary note to the shoes.

The "Bow Bow" shoes are not the only pair that Christian Louboutin has created using this modern material. It looks like quite a few pieces of the line he created to commemorate his brand's 20th anniversary. We have also been seeing quite a lot of the "Un Bout 100" model, which Kim Kardashian loves. I am also a fan of the "Just Picks 100" – a more daring model.

They're all the perfect shoes to dress up a casual look for a relaxed dinner or to inject a Marie Antoinette vibe into a cocktail dress ensemble.

Do you love them?

We're not even halfway through season 5 of Gossip Girl but even without watching the rest I would dare say this is the best look! Serena wears one of the best pieces from Mary Katranzou's SS11 collection for Blair's shower. I can't tell you how excited I was to see this. It was something I didn't see coming (which is brilliant!) and also something that suits Blake's character so well. Not to mention how occassion-appropriate the dress was. I also have to say that I loved the accessorising –the über-long pearl necklace, the patchwork Louboutin heels (which wouldn't work in another scenario) and the super cute messy pony tail tied up in a pink bow. This is the best Serena has looked in all of this season! Hopefully we will get to see her in some of the incredible pieces Katrantzou created for FW11 and (my favourite) SS12, that would just make me so happy!

I am so ecstatic about this look I will not even mention how overdressed Serena's day outfit was. Ha!

Style.com, JustJared, CWtv.com

I think I've figured out what's wrong with Blair's styling as of late. All the necklines of everything she wears are very off. All the garments also happen to be quite loose around the waist so perhaps they're trying to give her a 'pregnant look' to go along with the plot? I wish they looked at Beyoncé or Nicole Richie for examples of how to dress pregnant. Even Victoria Beckham!

I really disliked B's day look in this episode. It was way too fussy even though the pieces individually were quite nice –I loved the Alberta Ferretti dress and the Moschino jacket but not together! And I wish they stopped doing head pieces! The evening look was a lot nicer, fun and very Blair. It gave her an odd flat chest but at least it was sexy and different!

There was a bit of buzz this morning in the office as some of the die-hard Beyoncé fans watched the new 'Play' Beyoncé video. I've always been keen on Queen B but being around these people every day has definitely made me pay more attention.

You know how much I love some current high fashion on a music video so it's no surprise that I'm posting about this. I love the mix of high and low and the styling of all the rest of the cast including B's sister Solange and of Kelly Rowland.

After watching it a couple of times to do the screen caps I noticed a few of the shots were very similar to the editorial by Sharif Hamza that Beyoncé did for the Dazed & Confused July11 issue. This made me wonder whether this video was shot quite a few months ago (B doesn't look preggers at all), which would explain the abundance of SS11 and FW11 pieces that would have been a lot more new then.

In any case, it's a really amazing fun video –you can watch it here– and the great styling only makes it better!

Vevo screen caps, Style.com, TFS

Style.com

Yes, I know, I love posting about silly little connections with no relevance. But even after Valentino's post yesterday I could hardly resist to post about this too.

One of my favourite moments from 'The September Issue' is Grace's trip to Versailles when she is standing is one of the galleries overlooking the gardens. And I love it because have similar moments when I visit anywhere built before the 19th century. It's almost as if I felt guilty for missing such incredible moments in history. Kind of emotional. But don't worry, I'm not getting soppy here.

The Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, the organisation which looks after all things HC, threw a huge party last week to celebrate the closing of the couture shows. And the venue they chose was the Grand Trianon, the Louis XIV commissioned retreat Grace found so inspiring.

I'm unaware of whether this is the usual location for this event but I suddenly found myself daydreaming about attending this year's party and sipping champagne next to Rick Owens, Michele Lamy, Haider Ackermann and Christian Louboutin and together looking at the fireworks over the French jardins...

Britney's new video, 'I wanna Go', came out today and it looks like we've finally got out old Britney back. The vive of the video is very 'Do Something', which is also one of my favourite music videos by her.

In terms of fashion she is taking baby steps. But she is taking them. The first scene is a close up of her Christian Louboutin leather studded stilettos as she walks into the press room. The rest of the outfit is also a bit more old Britney but she looks pretty awesome in it. And I love the fake colourful highlights, they're pretty old fashioned but they really suit her, no?

Otherwise the video is pretty fun. My personal favourite is when she says "f*ck you" to the journalists and all her "daring" moments throughout the video. 

Who knows, maybe after two or three more videos she'll be back up to her old standards of unique awesomeness. You can't tell I'm a fan at all, right?

Thoughts?

Never in a million years I would have said that Kristen Stewart would be the best dressed at an event. Last night, for the he MTV Movie Awards, she wore a stunningly rock'n'roll red Balmain mini dress detailed with studs and safety pins. As I have said before, she looks her best in super short numbers, which she pulls off easily, and effortless hair and makeup.

Looking closely at her styling you might think Bárbara Martelo styled her. She's known for wearing only Balmain and Isabel Marant. The key of her style lies in the fact that she wears this ostentatious statement pieces with her natural hair down and virtually no makeup. It was actually Martelo who wore the jacket version of Kristen's dress during Paris Fashion Week back in February. She was also spotted then in the black "Chiara" Christian Louboutin pumps that Kristen paired up with the dress for the red carpet.

This is probably just a big coincidence but what an incredibly great match would Martelo be as Stewart's stylist? I'd love it!

[JustJared, TFS]

It seems like Miu Miu set the trend to take inspiration from comic books to dress for the new season. But it's not only them that have found a modern and sexy approach to it. Looking through what online shopping has to offer for SS11 it seems only evident that leather is king, whether on shoes, skirts or dresses, and that a big part of the clothes are looking to find a sexy way around comfy clothes. With big superhero films coming up in the next few months I wanted to have a look at what fashionable heroines should be wearing for Spring.

Clockwise from top right: Dion Lee pleated chiffon dress, Giuseppe Zanotti sandals, Miu Miu skirt, Versace cutout sandals, Christian Louboutin peep toe shoes,  Acne wedge boots, Chloé leather dress, Antonio Berardi dress, Camilla Skovgaard platform sandals.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Net-a-Porter, Vogue.fr, rantchick.com, popculture4fun.com]

Giulia's SS10 musts

I have gone through my favourite e-tail spots and chosen my season's must-haves. For me, it's all about muted colours (loving the nude this season), a bit of black (always!) and a dash of gold and pink without going too crazy. Enjoy!

Clockwise from top right: Alexander Wang bomber jacket, Vanessa Kandiyoti necklace, Camilla and Marc grey dress, Aurelie Biederman black cuff, Christian Louboutin studded pumps, Giambatistta Valli fringed dress, Daisy Knights studded gold rings, Current/Elliot ripped jeans, Philippe Ferrandis turquoise necklace, Bess fringed shoes.

Clockwise from top right: Madeleine Thompson jumper, Missoni bikini, Marie Helene de Taillac earrings, Isabel Marant pink tunic, Stella McCartney one-shoulder dress, pink Chanel Le Vernis, Jason Wu feather skirt, Proenza Shouler shoes, dark beige Chanel Le Vernis.

Giuls xx

[Pictures: Style.com, Net-a-Porter, MatchesFashion.com, HarveyNichols.com]

red soles for dancing

It has become quite trendy for designers to expand their creativity to the world of (sort of) short films to, I assume, promote their brands further —although I personally didn't feel any more inclined to buying a pair of spiky shoes than I already did. We have seen Mr. Louboutin playing a magician that making shoes appear out of thin air before and now he puts his tap-dancing shoes on (literally) and shows us that those red soles suit more surfaces than just the red carpet. Click here to go to Fashionair and watch the video.

[Screen caps from Fashionair.com]

I'm off.

all rise

The other day Giulia and I decided it was time to go have a look at shoes for the new season (we looked for shoes for me too, but I won't bore you with my menswear finds). She gasped and omg-ed at many but these three below were our favourites. Key season shoes to culminate your outfits.

Fendi tulle platform sandals @ Net-a-Porter

Marni suede peep-toe ankle boots @ Net-a-Porter

Christian Louboutin suede and leather sandals @Net-a-Porter

I'm off.

green with a red soul

Last night I watched the first episode of Kell on Earth —which I recommend to anyone that truly loves the fashion industry— where Kelly Cutrone, amongst other things, organises David Delfín's SS10 fashion show at NYFW. This made me realise I have never spoken of David Delfín in soVIPzone. It might be that I take certain Spanish designers for granted because they were always there while I first started to learn about fashion. In any case he is someone to have in mind. He has been taking Spanish fashion forward for the last ten years and his SS10 collection deserves a mention because the colour palette was superb and the shoes (in collaboration with Christian Louboutin) awe-striking.

After having a new look at the collection my brain rapidly started looking for ways for me to get a hold of any of the pieces (I am inquiring about the shoes —not sure if they'll be going into production). Luckily, my birthday coincides with the beginning of the SS10 season and with the Easter break so I migh be flying back from Madrid with a couple of "hospital green" (as coined by Style.com) items in my suitcase. I would particularly die if a pair of green patent leather shoes were among those items.

[Picture credits: YoDona.com, Tacoon.com]

See the rest of the shoes here. Do you love them or what?

I'm off.

buns, pastels and golden tips

There isn't anything about this Kate Bosworth look that I can speak ill of. The Chanel SS10 collection seems somehow an obvious choice for her but I think it works quite interestingly with the pale pink tights and those Louboutins —in a colour I couldn't find online, though. And many many kudos for the hairstyle!

[Picture credits: JustJared, Style.com, Net-a-porter]

I'm off.

the new New Look

Last Friday I attended the breakfast event for the New Look flagship store opening in London. The first thing that struck me was how spacious the shop is inside —never judge a store by it's entrance. You walk into a seemingly regular shop with some accessories and clothes and tills but as soon as you begin to ascend to the first, second and third floors more and more space opens up. But there were three aspects about the shop that really made me begin to love it. 1. It has a Starbucks —in my book any place with a Starbucks is a good place 2. Menswear is neither at the bottom nor at the top floor but on the second floor so boyfriends can have a break after floors G and 1 but right before the grand finale. 3. This grand finale consists on a massive SHOE floor where anything from pumps to flats to brogues find their place. Even I felt slightly taken-aback by this last floor both by the size of it and by the huge selection of shoes. These below are soVIPzone's New Look must-buys for the season.

[Click here to get your pair]

[Click here to get your pair]

And, of course, I had to get a few pieces for myself. Only for testing purposes, you know. I chose all four items because they have character but they work in many different ways too. I am specially excited about wearing the checked jacket —possibly as part of a Sartorial Ensemble for LFW. And I'm wearing the tweed waistcoat today, woop!

[Picture credit: Net-a-Porter.com, MatchesFashion.com, MyTheresa.com, Liberty.co.uk]

I'm off.

soVIP 3rd birthday

Such day as today, three years ago, I made my first post on soVIPzone. It feels like an age ago when I first wrote about Anna Wintour and the Oscars and accompanied the text with rather poorly edited images. A lot has changed since then —a new layout, more diversity in content and, most importantly, my new contributor and friend Giulia. And so, to celebrate my three years as a blogger I am giving you, the people who keep visiting and supporting soVIPzone, a look inside our rooms and wardrobes. Our very own fashion shrines where inspiration comes and goes and where all that you read here is written.

My room in Bermondsey —you can see Tower Bridge and the Gherkin from my bedroom window— is still a long way from being finished (please don't judge my shoe disorganisation) but everything from my inspiration wall to the order of my blazers and my trousers follow very strict arrangements. Also, I took a picture of my favourite daily shoes (clockwise from the grey suede ones: Cos, Lanvin, Acne, Cos, All Saints and Zara) and of my massive collection of blazers that takes up half of my wardrobe (each hanger has at least two and has anything from H&M and Zara to Hugo Boss and vintage pieces).

Giulia's room in Marylebone is the perfect space to dress up —high ceilings and plenty of white space. It gives her select assortment of statement jewellery an understated touch while it makes her jumbo Chanel, her Miu Miu array and her vintage Alaïa totally pop out even just on their hangers. Contrary to me, her shoes are perfectly organised in boxes —where you'll find anything from Zara and Stella McCartney to Louboutins and Dolce & Gabbana. It's her home-made portion of Heaven!

Thanks once more for keep checking back, leaving your comments and, generally, showing some love.

All the best,

Iñaki & Giulia x

[Picture credits: soVIPzone, excuse the bad technique!]