Cheryl Shops

Dear readers, it's a first-ever combo post at Cheryl Shops: MasstigeWatch and In These Shoes, together at last! We've seen Nine West here before—past collections with Sophie Theallet and Giles come to mind—but last month they debuted a collaboration with a high-end retailer, Kirna Zabete. This is noteworthy in that Kirna Zabete doesn't have an in-house line—the store is known for its incredibly well-selected stock, and it's the kind of place where, if money were no object, I would totally shop all the time—and that it's a store, not an actual designer (although there are two lovely ladies, Beth Buccini and Sarah Easley, behind it). That said, it's one of the strongest collaborations I've seen thus far at Nine West—so much so that I"m featuring all eight pairs, many of which are on their way to being sold out already!


Top row:
The Bandeau was the style that first got my attention because, let's face it, who doesn't want a satin sandal with a puff of marabou feathers at the toe? Then again, with a nearly 5-inch heel, these are perhaps best suited for activities that don't require standing, if you know what I mean.

I'd hesitate to call anything with marabou feathers practical, but compared to the Bandeau, the Otay, with its 2.5-inch heel, is practically utilitarian. At least you can walk in them.

The one style that's completely sold out, the Jois is, interestingly, also the most expensive in the line, at $169. It has stiff (pun intended) competition in this area, but I would argue that it's also by far the sexiest of the collection.

Middle row:
My one quibble with this collection is that there are 4-inch heels and there are flats, but there's nothing in between. And while I'm not a flats girl, I tend to make an exception in the summer, especially for embellished thong sandals like the Seashell.

The Altra is one of those shoes that looks fabulous on the shelf (who can resist ruffles?!), but I worry a bit that it might not look so great on, especially if your legs are of the thicker variety.

Bottom row:
Another style on the verge of selling out, the Sophi is an edgy update of the every-woman's-wardrobe-necessity black peep-toe pump. It looks like something Alexander Wang would create, but better.

The Wexar would make a great summer-wedding shoe, particularly if you're getting married on the beach (I speak from experience). Unlike regular bridal shoes, I'd venture that you'd definitely wear these again.

As I said earlier, I am generally not a flats person, but the Kneata might just make a convert out of me, if only for accomplishing the nearly impossible: making flats look a little bit dangerous.

Lanvin for less
No, I'm not referring to last week's botched Lanvin sample sale--I was going to write an Object of Desire post about these delicious blue leopard-print Lanvin flats, but while browsing the Kirna Zabete website, I found something even more intriguing: this Lanvin ruched T-shirt dress. While a Lanvin dress can normally run well into the $3,000s, this dress is mysteriously a tenth of the price, at a mere $295. Sure, it's a glorified T-shirt, but it has delicate tulle trim at the neckline and armholes, and the ruched side seams give it an interesting shape. Plus, it's Lanvin--you know it's going to look amazing on. It's versatile too: Throw a jacket over it and wear it to work, or pair it with sandals on the weekend. (Yikes, I just felt like I was at my day job.) The dress was made in black as well as royal blue; sadly, the former is sold out and, at the moment, the latter is available only in size medium (upside: that's my size!), although if you call the store, they might have more there (for such a trendy shop, KZ has lovely, accommodating salespeople). Alber Elbaz remarked in his recent New Yorker profile that he'd never make a secondary Lanvin collection, but as long as he keeps making affordable dresses like this, who cares?