Obsession du jour: Nicholas Kirkwood's sculptural shoes. "Shoes" is an insulting term for Kirkwood's masterpieces. A little bit outer space and a lot innovative, they beg to be exhibited as artwork just as much as they call for the crunch of the mean streets. Kirkwood sets them atop his signature sloping platforms and Art Deco shaped heels. Details include exotic skins in geometric cutouts, pearl-encrusted platforms, oversized buckles and even fur. This past spring the collection was electrified with shocking fuschia and vibrant cobalt hues. For fall, Kirkwood toned it down using a minimal palette of black and brown, leaving the python, karung and metallic accents to do all the talking. My Fall 2009 picks — for the timid: the mud colored bootie that morphs from suede to metallic leather as if by some mysterious alchemical reaction.for the daring: the black bootie with fur sprouting from the ankle.
It's a jungle out there, so dress appropriately!Check out the entire fall collection at www.nicholaskirkwood.com(available at Jeffrey NY 212-206-1272)