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LOVE: Christian Dior Shoes Spring 2014
shoes
No Artitude problem here
I’ve always been a fan of everything unique. I mean, who isn’t? So when my good friend Algie Mabasa started her own personalized canvas shoe business, I was completely on board.
Artitude is your next step to originality, and I mean it. Uniting a team of artists and Algie’s sketchbook, she launched this brilliant of an idea raising canvas shoes to the next levels. It is nowhere near what you see in malls; they exert the most effort in maintaining originality in every pair. So who won’t fall in love with these then?
Algie comes up with a few designs her clients would choose from but in the end, she just asks them one question: What do you want on your shoe?
“I encourage my clients to design their own shoes and wear their art with pride,” she said. I cannot believe this is the same lady who, six years ago, was complaining about how difficult it is to be a teenager. Amazing how exposure to the world can make us mature. And pride really is a sentiment that should be shared by those wanting to own something close to representing their own individuality. Artitude brings that to the table.
This venture started just a little over six months ago and already, she’s preparing shipments to Dubai, Australia and Canada to say the least. Just last week, we were looking at shipment options for a bulk buyer in Saudi Arabia. Shoes are flying off the shelves and in the next few months, we will see stilettos.
“This is my favorite Artitude pair, the first ever made, and it was patterned after my original doodle.” Just goes to show there’s nothing she cannot accomplish huh?
Here’s a sneak preview of her stilettos, and judging by the actual finished goods you saw on top of this post, you can expect that what you see is truly what you will get:
She was bugging me to make my own creation and in my head, I wonder if these will be acceptable office wear.
But then again, wear anything with pride and everything becomes much more acceptable than the norm.
Order your Artitude personalized footwear on Facebook. It’s best if you message them with a design in mind, but if you don’t have one yet, Algie and her team have enough creative juices to go around.
Turning to Adidas
I am a Nike whore. Really. I don’t remember ever buying a pair of running shoes from anywhere else but Nike. Ever since I started running, it has always been Nike.
My mother and I shopped the entire weekend. Because of the big sale in the south, I just had to save a little on running shoes. After all, it is a period of austerity, at least for me. With upcoming school and paying for it myself, I want to save what I can, so I was counting on the sale to save a few thousands.
True enough, the sale was worth it. The downside? Nike ran out of everything under women’s running. My heart stopped. I immediately called Dylan in a panic, and he was quick to quip, “Get an Adidas.”
For me, the statement sounded like, “YEAH I SAID IT.” But I had no other choice. My two runners are just in a sorry state. I don’t have that much cash on me. I need to start training for a long distance run for early next year. I need those shoes.
So I went over to Adidas and started browsing. To be fair, the selection looks good. I wasn’t able to take photos because the place was just chaotic. Then I noticed something: women’s running have like three designs left. I looked at the soles of each design and the two had a dreadful statement taped to it: LAST PAIR.
I turned over the funkiest looking one. And it was marked with this: 6.5 (1), 7(2)(1), 9(1). I know those numbers. Those are sizes and available stocks. I am a 7. I have to get that 7.
And so I did. Funky yes?
So tomorrow (if not later), I’ll let you know how it feels running in these. Adidas is endorsed by Katy Perry, and I really like her. So she can’t be that wrong right?
It still feels weird seeing stripes.
Oh by the way, I got this for 10% off and because I shopped so much, I got an additional 5% rebate. Sale shopping is nice.
DIY Glitter Heels
Okay, so here’s the thing. I’ve seen Wobisobi do this unbelievably simple repair in this post and all over Pinterest, so I thought, I might as well try it.
And if you’re following me on Twitter, I’ve officially declared Saturday as DIY day. Hahahaha. This is me trying to be more…. how do you say it… resourceful. I’ve so many things lying around everywhere. I might as well put them to good use. :)
You will need four things:
- paper plate
- art brush
- glue
- glitter (color of your choice)
And of course, the heels that need fixin’.
On a paper plate, put a good amount of glue, and mix your glitter. I had to mix the gold and silver to better match my heels. You may need to play around with this for a bit: for me, gold would have been too glaring with the nude, so I intended to tone it down with silver.
There’s no specific amount of glue and glitter to be combined, just make sure they will make a somewhat thick paste.
Then just coat your heels liberally. Some of you may ask if you have to make the heels smoother, but really you don’t. Unless of course you’re patient (unlike me).
Let the first coat dry before putting on another one. If you put a second coat before it dries, you might form a clump somewhere. Finish it off with a thin coat of glue and voila! :)
I cleaned up the messy parts with a good ol’ cotton swab. :)
I’ve read suggestions that this will also do well with sand for a more matte finish. Some people also used clear glue for a glossy finish.
What are you waiting for? Fix your heels already!
To be McQueened
The tragic passing of Alexander McQueen in February 2010 has the fashion world mourning. It was such a great loss; he was truly an artist, in every sense of the word. He left us with a range of masterpieces to be continually inspired with.
I am a middle class worker and there is no way, based on my current pay, that I will ever afford a McQueen. Oddly enough, this morning, his work was the first thing I looked up on Pinterest. (For those who haven’t noticed, I am a Pinterest fan. Click the upper right button to view my boards.)
Sometimes, I envy the spending power of the upper class. They get to experience and wear the genius of so many artists and designers; us middle class men merely look on. I cannot deny the fact that I do sometimes aspire to be as well off as them. But I know my limits, and I am grateful that the media has extensively covered (or at least as much as they can) the works of these modern Da Vincis.
I hope no one would mistake my admiration and aspiration as being ungrateful for what I have. I am grateful; I know I am still far more fortunate than most. I know the poverty statistics, mortality rates, feeding programs and the like. I am not unaware. But you see, high fashion is the cloud I float on. A girl can dream still you know, even at 2-.
“Each piece is unique, as was he.”
McQueen Fashion House, Paris Fashion Week, March 2010
the salt of your skin 