Thank You!

I just wanted to show you guys this awesome sketch that reader and fellow blogger Rachel made of me for her blog, VisualBasic
It's really cute and I like how she made my legs longer and skinnier ;)

Cool huh?? Here's the original photo and post...

Benjamin wanted a go at it too. He's so cute :)

Thank you Rachel! This was really cool of you :)

From Sketch to Shoe to Rejection

This shoe is one of my favorites and it's not being made. It happens way more often than I'd like unfortunately.

We rely on stores like Nordstrom and Macy's because without big orders, shoes just don't get made. That means that shoes that don't "fit in" at Nordstrom or Macy's don't usually get bought by their buyers.

Well apparently this shoe didn't fit what they think their customer would like. It's the nerdy shoe with a great personality that nobody picks to be on their team in P.E. cause she's not the cheerleader shoe. Don't worry nerdy shoe, the cheerleader shoe will peak early in life and get pregnant her first year of junior college.

Ummm. Ya.

It starts with an idea-

I saw this vintage lucite heel (that is not my wrinkly thumb) and thought it was so pretty and could be very Betsey.

Then, there was this Charlotte Olympia shoe that was such an amazing shape...

Based on these two things, plus the other ideas I had for a group of vintage inspired shoes, I drew a sketch...

I thickened the heel shape and changed the platform a bit. I added a sweet little bow as a maryjane strap.

Then after a trip to China and a few prototypes, the real deal was finished!

Pretty awesome! :)

Unfortunately... we won't see it in stores. They didn't think you'd like it/buy it. Maybe they're right but I wish they would have tried.

Sketching All Day...

I've been sketching all dang day and will continue to do so tomorrow and I'm pretty burned out.

Sometimes I like to sketch things that I know won't get made, like this spiky boot with metal toe. It's nice to kind of doodle mindlessly to keep from wanting to shoot myself.

Anway- I rarely post sketches so I thought I would.

When I'm designing shoes I pull inspiration from shoes I like. For this boot, I thought of these types of shoes and pulled elements from them.

... Just an example of how it works for me in case you wondered. I think it's always interesting to see people's process.
I love when I'm out shopping vintage stores and then months later I see a shoe "inspired" by a shoe I liked in the store, only on a runway with another designer's name on them. You may be surprised at how often it happens. ;)

Now back to the drawing board...

No Need to Get Dressed...

Today is a major serious work day. I'll be sketching like a crazy person so what's the point in getting dressed? Today I'm wearing my cozy little Paul Frank slippers and PJs.

My "office" has no dress code. :)