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A special Manolo Blahnik dedicated and exclusive to the new shop will also be launch in October when Manolo Shoes himself comes to Singapore for the official opening of the boutique.

Ms Melwani-Reis adds the company has no plans to open a third Manolo Blahnik Shoes as of yet and that the company will monitor the business at the new store before making expansion plans. She does, however, reveal that she expects the store at ION to outperform its predecessor.

She says: 'Palais Renaissance tends to be busy on weekdays but quiet on weekends whereas ION is busy during the week and super busy on weekends. Its larger demographic alone should mean it will do better.'

That is not to say though that the Palais Renaissance boutique does not have its merits, insists Ms Melwani-Reis.

She concludes: 'Many of our regulars at Blahnik Shoes who have gone to check out the new store still return to the one at Palai Renaissance. From their lunches at PS Cafe to doing their hair at Passion or Casey, these people whose lifestyles revolve around Palais Renaissance form a big part of our customer base,' she concludes.

'With the two malls offering such different brand mixes, I believe that together, the two boutiques will help us attract a larger audience of customers for the brand.'

mellwee@sph.com.sg

Manolo Blahnik store Design is lwaiting for you

FOR a brand to successfully infiltrate a market, special care must be taken when choosing the malls to retail in. Which is precisely what the Jay Gee Melwani Group has done with the 'very it and very in' shoe label YSL.

Once considered a niche brand in Singapore and having conquered the celebrity and socialites crowd with their first store at Palais Renaissance since it opened in March last year,YSL Shoes is making a bigger bid for market share by opening a second store at the spanking new Ion Orchard.

'I think that both of them target two different customer groups even though there may be a slight overlap,' says Jay Gee Melwani-Reis Group's director Shabnam Melwani-Reis.

'While the store at Palais Renaissance caters to the tai-tais and celebrities who don't really like crowds, the one at Ion Orchard being on the main Orchard Road belt will help us reach out to a more mass audience.'

In addition, to encourage customers to visit both stores, their retail mixes will differ by roughly 20 per cent. For example, following last season's marvellous collaboration with Balmain, Fall/Winter '09 presents YSL Boots collaboration with edgy New York label Thakoon, which will be available exclusively at the new ION boutique.

A special YSL Sandals dedicated and exclusive to the new shop will also be launch in October when YSL Pumps himself comes to Singapore for the official opening of the boutique.

NEW YORK -- In her third footwear partnership in three years, bridal queen Vera Wang is turning to Italian designer YSL Shoes to expand the label's YSL Boots business.

Vera Wang YSL Pumps will now be manufactured and distributed by YSL Shoes, with product set to hit retail for spring '04. Before the new partnership was created, Wang shoes were made by Stuart Weitzman under an agreement signed about a year and a half ago. That deal has been dissolved, with Weitzman's last collection delivered for fall. At press time, Stuart Weitzman was in Europe and could not be reached for comment.

Chet Hazzard, president and COO of Vera Wang, told FN that Wang's business is evolving and that YSL Sandals is a better match to grow the business. "Our business is more toward the premium-to-luxury market, whereas Stuart serves the better-to-premium market and everything has to connect -- particularly for a designer brand," Hazzard said. "We wanted to realign the [shoe] collection so it was more aligned with the luxury that Vera is known for in the bridal and rtw collection," Hazzard said. "With $3,000 gowns, customers want shoes [that reflect that]. You have to think of the customer and what she expects in terms of shoes."

Hazzard explained that Manolo Blahnik Shoes of that level of quality "might require a handmade process and incorporate some of these great fabrics we work with from Paris or Italy, and these are things that Manolo Blahnik is known for."

A capsule collection produced by Manolo Shoes was shown during an informal runway presentation at Vera Wang's showroom last Monday, and elements of the spring collection will hit retail in January. The Manolo Blahnik store will be sold at Vera Wang boutiques and select specialty retail stores.

Featuring fine leathers and fabrics that complement Wang's apparel line, the collection will include a lot of evening looks, Blahnik Shoes for day and bridal. There will be stilettos, low heels and maybe printed charmeuse heels to wear with jeans, Hazzard said. The shoes will retail for $270 to $450, a bit higher than the Weitzman-made shoes, which retailed for $250 to $310.

May 14, 2010 (b5media delivered by Newstex) -- Can't get enough of the snakeskin trend this season? Skip the handbags, wallets and hair accessories and attend to dressing up those ankles instead: The YSL Shoes Snake-Embossed Pump is ideal for the brown and gold corner of your YSL Boots collection, a brown leather YSL covered in snake embossing with a rich golden hue. Plus, the 3 1/4" peep toe heels will have you trotting along in some of the season's most coveted colors. (No snake charmer required) YSL Sandals Snake-Embossed Pump: $650 available at Neiman Marcus Tags: Accessories, designer-shoes, Giuseppe Zanotti, luxury, luxury-shoes, PumpsShare This

Anne Betts was sassy and confident strolling down New York's Fifth Avenue in her strappy, 5-inch platform heels. Until, that is, she stepped off a curb and fell to the ground.

"I felt it immediately," says the New York ad-sales manager, referring to the pain that shot up from her just-sprained ankle. Although her doctor admonished her to give up the skyscraper Christian Louboutin Shoes and imposed a 3-inch-heel maximum, Ms. Betts admits she can't resist the allure of tall Louboutin Shoes. "I love to dance in them," she says. While standing still, she notes, "they improve your posture."

Not so long ago, high heels were defined as 3 or 4 inches a footnote to give a little height and a more appealing silhouette to the wearer. But this fall, Christian Louboutin have been supersized with the proliferation of 5-, 6- and even 7-inch heels and platforms. The uber-heels range from $100 versions sold by Steve Madden to deluxe pairs costing between $600 and $1,500 from designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Marni, Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin. They come in an array of shapes, including spiky stilettos, tapered cones, sloping wedges and thick wooden posts. Exaggerated platforms have thick, elevated soles, as well as high heels, making for a superhero, rather than a Barbie-doll, look.

"These are the highest heels that I've ever seen sold on a commercial level," notes Roseanne Morrison, fashion director for Doneger Group, a retail consultant for more than 200 stores. And they're selling. At Bergdorf Goodman, senior vice president Edwin Burstell says they represent "a large piece of the business this fall."

Mr. Blahnik, who for more than 20 years topped out at 5-inch heels, pushed the envelope this year, adding a 6-inch style to his line. "These are still sexy, pretty Christian Shoes," he says. The designer who doesn't do platforms says that 6-inch heels already account for about 30 percent of his company's business.

The heels are proving treacherous to many. At Louboutin spring 2009 fashion show in Milan last month, two models fell down on the runway; others stumbled as they walked in mile-high shoes designed by Miuccia Cheap Christian Louboutin. "I was having a panic attack, my hands were shaking. The heels were so high," one of the models told reporters after the show. "Some of the girls were crying backstage they were so scared."

But instead of rejecting the extreme heels, many women can't seem to get enough of them.

At the start of every season I treat myself to a new pair of Christian Louboutin Shoes and a handbag, reasoning that these will update every single outfit in my wardrobe. Of course it never works like that but it gives me the perfect excuse to purchase another pair and another bag soon after, and then another, and then... This summer, however, I won't be making the usual mistake. I have a very clear picture of what I'll be buying in the Louboutin and bag department and it's just about everything featured - well it is the summer of the accessory after all.

Sunglasses are huge - make sure that, like a true fashion person, you're wearing them even if it's raining. Beaded bags - well forget it, they are gone and forgotten (at last), go for a chic clutch bag instead, in pale beige, tan, nude - call it what you will. Be careful with animal prints - ponyskin is overdone so opt for snakeskin instead. And if silver was '99, gold is Y2K and, kept to a minimum, it looks fantastic, especially with golden brown skin. Once you've worked on your tan and toned up your legs, treat yourself to a pair of gold T-bars. If Christian Louboutin is out of your league then try Faith, which has a range of gold Christian Shoes from pounds 50. If subtlety is more your thing then the sensible court Louboutin Shoes in Burberry check or the cute sling-back kitten-heel is the perfect accessory to team with your pussycat bow blouse and pleat skirt.