WF FOOTPRINTS
4
GISELE BÜNDCHEN PROMPTS
FLAT SHOES FOR BALENCIAGA
The creative director of luxury
leathergoods firm Balenciaga has said
that the label’s chunky flat shoes for
the spring-summer 2011 collection
were prompted by models refusing to
wear heels on the runway.
Nicolas Ghesquière, who heads the
PPR-owned firm’s creative
department, suggested that it was the
Brazilian supermodel Gisele
Bündchen who insisted on the shoes
being flat.
When talking about the label's
catwalk show, he told
Women’s Wear
Daily
: “The idea was to have this crazy
casting with Gisele and Amber
Valletta and Carolyn [Murphy], and
they said no for high heels. They were
not used to walking with heels
anymore. Gisele was worried; she
would not walk with my heels.”
The designer said that shoes are
“almost a starting point” for his
collections, but that he was “already
thinking flats…already preparing the
flat shoes”.
For its autumn-winter 2011
collection, however, Balenciaga was
back to its 11.4cm heels – suggesting
that perhaps Ms Bündchen’s refusal to
wear heels had more to do with the
flats than pure coincidence.
DELLA VALLE TALKS ABOUT
THE CHALLENGE OF CHINA
China presents a challenge to
European luxury goods
manufacturers, but perhaps not
because of the quality of the products
its companies can make. This was the
view expressed by the chairman of
luxury footwear brand Tod’s, Diego
Della Valle, in a recent interview with
the
Financial Times
.
Mr Della Valle told the newspaper
his company had a need to “intensify”
efforts in Asia, but said that, even 10
years ago, he would never have
imagined during his visits to China that
demand for Tod’s products there would
become as intense as it has today. He
said the rapid growth in the desire
among Chinese people to own luxury
items was unprecedented. “In post-war
America or the Japan of 25 years ago,
it was there,” he said, “but it was a
much more gradual thing. In China it is
immediate, and it is felt by everyone.”
The Tod’s chairman speculated that
in four or five years’ time, the
challenge brands like his will face in
the Chinese market will be what
wealthy Chinese consumers will want
to buy to distinguish themselves from
other wealthy Chinese consumers and
for luxury brands to know how
exclusive and how popular to make
their products. He added: “It will be a
delicate balance. To grow, but to retain
that exclusivity. The dream touch.”
BROWN SHOE MAKES SENIOR
FOOTWEAR APPOINTMENTS
Brown Shoe Company has made
four strategic additions to the
leadership team within its American
Sporting Goods (ASG) division,
appointing James M. Hoff (most
recently of ASICS America) as vice-
president for sales across all ASG
brands, Alan Vickers (formerly of
Reebok and Nike) as vice president for
international business, Brad Little
(formerly of Decker’s, Columbia and
Nike) as vice-president and brand
manager for the Avia and Nevados
brands, and Jorge Cabrera (at Brown
Shoe since 2010) as vice-president for
athletic product development at ASG.
Timothy Joyce, who took on the role
of senior vice-president and general
manager of ASG in May, was
instrumental in the selection of the
vice-presidents. The company said the
“evolution of the new ASG team” is
the result of a six-month transition
following Brown Shoe’s acquisition of
ASG in February, adding the Avia,
ryka, AND 1 and Nevados footwear
brands to its portfolio.
HONOUR FOR SNOWSHOE
COMPANY
A business awards programme in
Boulder, Colorado, has named local
snowshoe manufacturer Crescent Moon
as a finalist in this year’s competition.
Crescent Moon says the most
important component of any snow
shoe is the binding and it is for its
work in this area that it is being
recognised by the judges of the
Boulder IQ (Innovation Quotient)
Awards for 2011. Its binding is based
on a “single-pull-loop” idea and is
fully adjustable. The company makes
all its shoes at its own manufacturing
set-up in Colorado.
PEOPLE, PLACES AND HAPPENINGS
LOUBOUTIN FIGHTS DIOR
OVER RED SOLES
After filing lawsuits against Yves
Saint Laurent and Carmen Steffens
over claims that they copied his
signature red soles, Christian
Louboutin is now accusing Dior of
the same thing.
In court papers filed July 19, the
footwear designer demands a court
order in an attempt to stop the
fashion house’s rumoured plans to
release its own collection of red-
soled shoes, according to the
New
York Post
.
A private investigator hired by
Mr Louboutin, Roman Khaykin of
InfoTactic Group, found Dior’s
alleged plans when a sales clerk at
the latter’s 57th Street store in
New York City said that the brand
was “planning to make red-soled
shoes with matching uppers for
the next season”.
Mr Louboutin is hoping that the
courts will prevent Dior from
adopting crimson heels, which he
claims violates his trademark.
“A flood of red soles in high-
fashion women’s footwear creates
the danger that Louboutin’s
goodwill, market prominence, and
fame will be destroyed,” he says in
his latest court filing.
Yves Saint Laurent has filed a
counter-suit against the designer,
saying he shouldn’t have the right
to “monopolize any colour”.