CONNOISSEUR’S UPDATE
WOMEN’S WATCHES–THE SKINNY

WOMEN'S WATCHES–THE SKINNY - "*Poiray*":http://www.poiray.com _Ma Première_ white gold or stainless-steel watches on custom straps

For several years now, the trend for watches has been to render them a little bigger each season, a little bolder, and–as a result–a bit more masculine (in my opinion). But since I don’t follow trends, I’ve stuck with my favorites and continued to wear thin watches. My gold Bulgari watch has long been a staple in my wardrobe; and for something more casual, I love Cartier and Hermès. Recently, however, I’ve noticed a move towards thinner, more elegant timepieces. Hmmm. It’s not that I’m a trendsetter–it’s just that I prefer a feminine look, and I wear what suits me. Here are some new favorites!

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The Daily Shoe
A Showroom Appointment with Nathalie Elharrar of LaRare

A Showroom Appointment with Nathalie Elharrar of LaRare - A classic LaRare design, complete with chain-draped ankle strap and Nathalie's signature dangling ring

Nathalie Elharrar, the very talented personality behind LaRare, is the only woman designer I interviewed for this month’s on-going celebration of our regular feature, The Daily Shoe. Being a woman, Nathalie has an interesting perspective on feminine footwear. Her designs range from classic to extreme, but her signature touch is a piercing ring, which can often be found dangling from the sole or heel of a LaRare shoe. The ring represents Nathalie’s firm belief that a woman can and should be both strong and sexy at the same time.

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The Daily Shoe
A Showroom Appointment with Sultan Al Darmaki

A Showroom Appointment with Sultan Al Darmaki  -

Our readers love The Daily Shoe, and throughout November we’ll continue celebrating its one-year anniversary by looking more closely at five designers whose shoes appear on our site. All five of them took the time to meet with me during a hectic period (Paris Fashion Week for the Spring 2012 Prêt-à-Porter), and I had a great opportunity to visit their showrooms and preview their latest designs. First stop: The Hôtel George V and Sultan Al Darmaki.

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The Up-and-Comers
DARMAKI

DARMAKI - Sultan Darmaki and one of his beautiful designs, _Lulu_, in pleated satin

We love beautiful shoes…and all the more so when they’re the work of a new designer. Sultan Al Darmaki, from the United Arab Emirates, studied public relations and marketing at school, but recently chose to follow his true passion: the design of extraordinary footwear. His company, DARMAKI, is based in London, and the shoes are handmade in Italy. Darmaki likes to quote another visionary shoe designer, André Perugia, who said “a woman’s personality is revealed by her shoes.” Darmaki’s dedication to his calling is obvious–indeed, the Victoria & Albert Museum has already added one of his shoes (a sandal called Lydia) to its permanent collection. We caught up with the designer over breakfast in New York (and via subsequent emails).

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Designer & Brand News

The Daily Shoe
A Showroom Appointment with Rupert Sanderson

A Showroom Appointment with Rupert Sanderson - A portrait of Rupert Sanderson in his Paris boutique

The very dashing Rupert Sanderson is a charming young Brit and a terrific shoe designer, not to mention a regularly-featured name on The Daily Shoe. I caught up with him during a recent Paris Fashion Week at his boutique behind the Palais Royal, where he was showing his Spring 2012 collection.

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The Daily Shoe
One-Year Anniversary Video Diary: Five Designers

One-Year Anniversary Video Diary: Five Designers -

Everyone checks in with The Daily Shoe, which this month celebrates its first anniversary. Join Susan as she looks more closely at five very talented designers– Darmaki, Burak Uyan, Nathalie Elharrar of LaRare, Walter Steiger and Rupert Sanderson–whose work helped make this feature so important. All of them met with Susan during Paris Fashion Week, inviting her into their showrooms to preview their latest designs. We do love shoes!

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Beauty Update
Face and Body by Tom Ford

Face and Body by Tom Ford - The _maestro_ himself, Tom Ford, signs individual bottles to commemorate his cosmetics collection's debut

After much anticipation and speculation, Tom Ford has finally released his luxe cosmetics collection (a division of TOM FORD BEAUTY). I attended the launch at his flagship on Madison Avenue (where he also unveiled some recent additions to his fragrance line) and was excited beyond belief, mainly because I am mad for Tom Ford. This man is not only a talented designer, he’s also a fashion celebrity, a style icon and…well, he’s simply very cool. I’d visited the store when it first opened, but at that time, everything for sale was just for men: beautifully-designed and fun to look at, but nothing for me.

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The Daily Shoe
A Showroom Appointment with Walter Steiger

A Showroom Appointment with Walter Steiger -

Our celebration of The Daily Shoe wouldn’t be complete without visiting Walter Steiger, a legend in the shoe world who’s been designing gorgeous footwear for decades. Recently, his sons joined the family business and the brand has made a huge comeback after being somewhat dormant for awhile.

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The Daily Shoe
A Showroom Appointment with Burak Uyan

A Showroom Appointment with Burak Uyan - Burak Uyan, shoe designer _extraordinaire_, hard at work in his Parisian atelier

Our celebration of The Daily Shoe and its one-year anniversary continues with this closer look at another young shoe designer, Burak Uyan. I caught up with Burak at his sunny, all-white atelier in the Marais during the most recent Paris Fashion Week, and had a great time chatting with this talented créateur of Turkish descent and previewing his colorful Spring collection.

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CONNOISSEUR’S UPDATE
TITLE OF WORK TIES

TITLE OF WORK TIES -

Once upon a time, in mid-20th century America, a necktie was the sartorial equivalent of masculinity–along with the grey flannel suit, it was practically a fabric substitute for Man himself. Today, few guys are required to wear ties, so fashion, sensing a vacuum, moved in. There are still plenty of traditional manufacturers around (as any glance at the evening news will confirm), but younger designers often break–or bend–old rules of propriety and take full advantage of neckwear’s creative potential. We recently discovered one such createur, Jonathan Meizler, an artist and designer who’s turned his hand to producing a line called, rather cleverly, title of work.

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