Blinded by the light; so worth it

Outside the CdG show. No words. The sneakers are manic. I love it. Photo courtesy of jakandjil.com/blog (to really appreciate this, click the photo to EXPAND)

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More YSL!

Little did I know that one of our favourite French brands has more to offer in the casual footwear(sneaker) department. I'm a sucker for all things shiny and flashy(like a child), so I was immediately drawn to these classic 80's inspired high-tops in a silver-coloured rubberized canvas + white sole("Ooooooh...Ahhhhh..."). These guys will run you $390US which HONESTLY isn't too bad compared to other luxury-brand sneakers. I've made it a mandate that everyone is required to own at least 2 pairs of shoes; 1 black and 1 white. At $410US, YSL provides us with the relatively same style in all-black or white soft leather. This version is a lot more basic and classic; would literally be an easy fit into your wardrobe. P.S. YSL needs to re-invent their classic sneaker style every season like they do with the womens tribute pump. It's only fair!


check ysl.com

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KWest x LVuitton = finally

Season after season, hip-hop superstar Kanye West is front row at the Vuitton show. He calls himself the "Louis Vuitton don" as he's an avid walking mannequin for the label, giving them free publicity 24/7 and receiving nothing in return other than a hefty receipt (he can handle it). Things have changed as Kanye has finally taken his love for design and fashion and made something of it; fortunately enough with the most dominating fashion house in the world (I think that's pretty safe to say). A single style from the KWxLV collab debuted during Paris fashion week, on the runway for Louis Vuittons menswear show yesterday. The collab features several designs, including a simple white boat shoe embossed with the signature LV logo debuted earlier this month (shown below). The style featured in the show (calfskin - red, black)will be hitting Vuitton stores in June 2009. What do we think? The red ones tickle my fancy. Though I thought Kanye would design with a colour explosion in mind, the sneakers are tasteful and classic appealing to...everyone. P.S. Marc Jacobs in a skirt paired with Stephen Sprouse tribute leggings = priceless.





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Will be missing.in.action, yet again...

Irrelevant to sneakers, yes. Once again, I am unable to experience the intense crowds of crazy fashion fanatics for a collaboration at H&M. British designer Matthew Williamson will be the next guest designer for mega fast-fashion retailer H&M. Available worldwide in mid-May, Williamson will hopefully bring us eye-opening colour and interesting prints/patterns much like in his collections. While he'll be producing menswear + womenswear, this collaboration with H&M will be Williamson's debut in menswear. Living in Winnipeg (far, far away from any H&M location) is really inconvenient.



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Stephen Sprouse: A tribute for S/S2009 by Louis Vuitton

First off, Happy New Year. Content has been lacking since I was in Toronto ringing in the New Year and have just been getting settled in with school. Now, back to the important things in life, sneakers! Inspired by 1980's street wear, the eye-opening graffiti sneaker is a tribute to New York artist Stephen Sprouse who collaborated with Vuitton for their 2001 Spring Summer show. The tribute collection has a range of items from bags to sneakers (sneakers being the most vital of them all). Coming in 3 colour ways (fuschia, green, + orange), the uber limited edition sneaks are going to run the lucky sons of b**ches who have the cash, just under $1000.00 which is honestly well worth it. Think about it: super fresh sneaks + limited + Louis Vuitton = it really doesn't get much better than that. Do the research if you're contemplating purchasing since you can't acquire these suckers online. P.S. I wear size 11...



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Adding to the collection

Finally, there is an additional colour way to the Ato cow hide boot made popular by the "Louis Vuitton Don" himself, Kanye West. This black, purple, and green combination features the classic Ato double velcro strap with a mix of patent and generic premium leather. Personally, I'm not blown away by the colour way like I was for the original 4 colours that were released (check out an earlier Ato Matsumoto post located on the right, under the music player); it's way too random. But, I guess that's the point. We can all agree this is a piece of footwear made for someone who enjoys and/or craves attention. To be released March'09; save up.

check out oki-ni.com

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Marc Jacobs gives us options for S/S2009

If you don't know who Marc Jacobs is by now, you should probably crawl back under the hole where you've apparently been living. The only reason I say that is because I know way too many people who tell me they've never heard of him or "his name sounds familiar but I can't remember". Honestly, shame on you. For those of you who don't, Google him.

Back to business; A key staple in everyone's wardrobe is a fresh pair of whites, in which we can all concur. But, having a pair of whites with a bit of character makes a bolder statement. That's where Mr. Jacobs comes into play. For Spring/Summer 2009, he gives us a wide variety of sneakers that makes the common man salivate profusely. What caught my eye were the neutral coloured sneakers and the white pairs with some flare.Above, we see the uber light grey high-tops with that embossed solid-coloured checker pattern alongside a pair consisting of a white zig-zag pattern with pops of silver, which adds the flare we want. Below, this dynamic pair is covered with illustrations and phrases which makes a statement, while still keeping that idea of having fresh white shoes. All in all, Jacobs has provided us with alternatives to the plain white sneaker for summer. P.S. Do not play in mud, get them dirty, and call THAT a statement - now they are just plain dirty.



Check www.marcjacobs.com


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