GUCCI MUESO OPENS IN FLORENCE

Piazza Signoria in Florence, Italy, is one of my favourite places in the world and now it has another fabulous draw card, the Gucci Museo.

In celebration of the luxury brand's 90th Anniversary, the fashion House opened the Gucci Mueso inside the medieval Palazzo della Mercanzia. (Watch the making of Gucci Mueso below).

Starlets, A-List Florentines and fashionistas turned out in droves for Wednesday night's opening. Spied strutting the red carpet were Camille Belle, Frida Giannini, Charlotte Casiraghi , and Abby Cornish.

The museum houses an exhibit from the rich history of the Gucci archives as well as a contemporary art installation by the Pinault Foundation.

The first floor plays host to installations such as: flora world, handbags, evening, precious, and contemporary art space. The second floor is logomania, lifestyle, and sport and the ground floor sees a Gucci icon store, bookshop, café, and gift shop.

Patrizio di Marco, Gucci's President and CEO, said, "We have decided to give life to something very dynamic and engaging. Visitors to the GUCCI MUSEO will not have the impression of a nostalgic celebration, instead our aim has been to create a destination experience where people can appreciate and enjoy our history, but at the same time understand how innovative and alive Gucci is today. The GUCCI MUSEO is also a tribute to our hometown," according to a Fibre2Fashion article.

Gucci is a luxury institution and one of the most renowned fashion houses in Italy, with Guccio Gucci opening his first leather goods and small luggage store in 1921. The son of an Italian merchant, Guccio Gucci wanted to blend the inspirations he acquired from both London, while working at the Savory Hotel, and from life in Italy, utilizing the classic sensibility of Italian craftsmanship.

Makes sense to me. Molto bella.

For more on the Gucci Museo click here.

(Pictures from bottom: Aldo Gucci in front of the original Florence store, Top; inside the exhibit.)

See the making of the Gucci Mueso...




Love!

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NEW SEASON KILLER HEELS

The pin heel. Loved and coveted but oh so deadly.

At 12cm this isn't the tallest heel we've seen in recent seasons but it is as 'killer' as they come.

With thanks to Christian Louboutin, Versace and Zanotti for their latest collections of pin-heeled leather pumps. Worn with everything from skinny jeans to floor length gowns these offerings will bring instant sophistication.

Warning: Wear at your own risk.

Love!


From Bottom Left (anticlockwise): Christian Louboutin Big Dorcet 120 suede pumps, Versace Pin-heeled nappa leather ankle boots, Christian Louboutin Big Stack 120 leather pumps, Giuseppe Zanotti Crystal-embellished satin ankle boots.

All available at Net-A-Porter

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VERSACE WOMEN'S SPRING SUMMER 2012

Missed Versace's super high take on the perspex platform? We welcome them back in Versace's 2012 Spring Summer Collection.



For 2012 Spring Summer season, the Versace Siren arrives in the city in the middle of the hot, hot summer, bringing with her a new beat...

Watch the fashion show from yesterday in Milan.

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TREND ALERT - TAKE A HIKE

The hottest trend to come out of Fall Winter 2011-12? The sky-high hikers boot.

A pretty damn stylish 24 hour footwear solution. Loving these spins (from bottom): Alaia - lace-up calf hair platform boots, Chloé - leather platform ankle boots and Dolce & Gabbana - plaid and leather utility style boots.

All available @ Net-A-Porter.

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RACHEL ZOE BANANAS FOR SHOES

She's successfully conquered celebrity styling and reality TV, now Rachel Zoe is taking on what some might say is a predictable (but fabulous) new role - fashion designer.

On Monday (12th) she presented her Spring Summer 2011-12 collection during New York Fashion Week and is moving at her usual 100km per hour pace on her footwear and accessories venture.

Labeling her Super-Mum doesn't even begin to do her justice, with season four of her hit reality show 'The Rachel Zoe Project' about to hit US screens and motherly duties with her six-month-old son Skyler, this is a woman with serious time management skills.

Zoe's collection with LF USA debuted with a bang, already taken on in majors like Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman.

'Not everyone wants to tower on a 7-inch heel like me,' admitted Zoe to WWD. 'There's something in the collection for everybody. I want everybody to find their shoe.'

Bless her.


(Image Credit: rachelzoe.com)

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BRISBANE TIMES - PLUS ONE - GOES LIVE

Want a little more sass?

Introducing Fairfax's BrisbaneTimes.com.au new social sass, Plus One.

Running the gamut from glitterati to grunge, Plus One invites you along to the top events, revelries and celebrations in Brisbane. It’s social coverage with a twist.

This is your insider's guide to Brisbane's best openings, events and parties.

Go there. Stat!

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STEPHANE KELIAN S/S 2011-12 COLLECTION

Stephane Kelian is known for his design expertise and craftsmanship. Touches of hand-made finishes and plaited leather define Kelian as the 'sculptor shoemaker.'

The Spring Summer 2011-12 collection is edgy and fresh but elegantly designed.

Loving the Anita, available in black and beige. Available at Cosmopolitan Shoes.

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SJP LAUNCHES COLLECTION WITH MANOLO BLAHNIK

Sarah Jessica Parker launches a shoe collection with Manolo Blahnik for Fashion's Night Out, while Vanessa Hudgens and Daniel Radcliffe also attend events in New York.

Love!

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CHOO'S FLOWER POWER

Jimmy Choo's Flower Collection of summer essentials - just hitting shoetiques now!

Love.

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GUCCI & FIAT'S LOVE CHILD

I have a confession to make... I love cars. Clearly I love my shoes but I do love cars. Not just any common-garden-variety car, beautiful, elegant prestige cars. So when I hear Fiat has teamed with Gucci, I'm all over it.

In a year that sees the celebration of 150 years of Italian unification and on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Gucci brand, Fiat and the Florence-based luxury label present the "500 by Gucci."

The car is the result of intensive creative collaboration between Stile Fiat and Gucci, a co-design project where the work by the Italian designer label is devised to enhance the distinguishing traits of the iconic Fiat 500.

Consequently, "500 by Gucci" represents the perfect blend of two stylistic approaches which, each in its respective field, have made Italian style so famous and influential all over the world, focusing as ever on attention to detail, the ongoing pursuit of quality materials, in the spirit of a simple yet refined elegance.

The new car features exteriors in two colours, Black or White, both enhanced by the exclusive paint with glass beads which make it 'shine like a gem.' The same colour combination can be found on the key cover, which gives customers their first distinguishing sign of the "500 by Gucci".

Designed by Gucci's creative director Frida Giannini in collaboration with Fiat's design office, the convertible version of this limited edition car is sleek, sporty and made for summer adventures. Beginning in August / September, the 500C by Gucci will hit the road in a mult-city tour of Europe's most charming locations. The first stop will be Saint Tropez (August 19 - 27) followed by Berlin (September 8 - 14), Barcelona (September 25 - October 2), London (October 16 - 23) and Geneva (October 23 - 30). A special Italian road show kicks off in Forte dei Marmi (August 22 - 28). From there it travels to Rome (September 4 - 11), Florence (September 19 - 26) and finally Milan (October 8 - 16).

Sign me up - love!

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KARDASHIAN'S 3 PAIRS OF WEDDING SHOES

Kim Kardashian is certainly known for her sky-high heels and her wedding day was no exception.

The bride tied the knot with her 6 foot 9 groom Kris Humphries on August 20 in Montecito, California wearing a gorgeous strapless ivory Vera Wang gown and teetering Giuseppe Zanotti platform pumps.

Zanotti designed three different pairs of wedding day shoes for Kardashian to go with each of her custom-made Vera Wang gowns (yes, you read correctly..).

"The first pair went with the princess dress that I wore during the wedding ceremony. They are closed-toe off-white satin with the crystal heel. I needed the height and wanted a sturdy heel because I was so afraid I was going to trip walking down the aisle! LOL," she posted on her website along with a pic of the shoes on the 29th of August.

"For my mermaid gown I wore the peep toe white heels with the amazing beads on them," she continued. "And then thirdly, I wore the simple satin sling back peep toes with my simple satin old Hollywood gown."

Ah to be a Kardashian.


(Image Credit: Bauer-Griffin / KimKardashian.Celebuzz.com)

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