London womens brand Not Bad For A Girl is slowly becoming the European counterpart to Married To The Mob. We definitely like what we are seeing from the girls.

Now they did not only launch a few new t-shirts in their online store, they also preview an exciting collaboration that will hit shelves Spring/Summer 2008. They got together with one of our favorite UK brands, Addict, to create some Method Zip hoodies. Addict is known for good quality, technical and solid work - that paired with the design skills of Not Bad For A Girl will for sure result in some interesting pieces to look out for.

Check out the collaboration and the latest Not Bad For A Girl releases in detail after the jump.

Howdy  it has been a while I know...

the summer has kept Lois and I busy...But one thing is for sure I still can shop I find ways to end up in one of my fave neighborhoods lately...the LES check out this concept..Have you aver been shopping and wished you could just sip on a cocktail and chat  well your dreams can come true

at TheHangerBar...and guest what they are having a party!!!

See you there!!!

Enjoy

Wear your kicks with Pride

SgP

BKRW just updated and they put up their latest feature on Colette. Unlike most others they do not just present the store, show some pics, they actually managed to do a video Interview with Sarah Colette, that some of you might have already heard of or seen on other websites.

Check out the video and read the BKRW analysis, that as usual gives a lot of insight and information!

At Bread & Butter we also checked out our new favorite sunglass brand, Super from Italy. The brand was founded by Daniel and Simon Beckerman and fashion photographer Sean Micheal Beolchini. All their sunglasses are handmade in Italy and feature top quality Zeiss glasses. Their first collection was very well perceived and made it quickly into stand out stores such as Colette and 10 Corso Como.

We had the pleasuer of checking out what there is to come. And we can tell you they do not just release new colorways. Expect 3D designs, printing and lots of other features in the new collections.

Check them out now after the jump.

I have to say that when I heard the  name I had what They Called a "haut le Corps" in other words  I got queasy I could picture.... the Typical King ,Smooth mag layout( I'll elaborate on my beef about those later...) and really no clothing at all...

However it was a pleasant surprise to see that Dime Piece is actually co-owned By a woman, Ashley Jones and the clothes have spunk ,Originality and you won't look like a booty girl if you rock it,(uhh unless that is the look you are going for...) It's really about Girls taking control of their own game:

" These are the females that have the potential to make a positive impact and consistently turn heads. "

 at CWK we love that!!! 

enjoy

Wear Your Kicks with Pride

Sg:P

Toofly just sent us pics from her new lookbook IT"S HOT!!!!!

she did all the art direction it's quite crisp and edgy we love it!!!

enjoy

wear your kicks with pride

Sgp

Last night I was reveling in the never-ending pages of cute product featured at PopGloss when I came across a Louboutin heel featuring his signature red heel. I was all ready to come here and vent a bit on how in less than a year Lou has gone from a piping-hot designer too ones that's just warmish in part 'cause he won't give up the ghost and move on from that damned red heel, which, in case he hasn't noticed, has been knocked off about 18 times over to the point where it can be purchased for $12.99 at the local bargain mart (it's too played out for Payless).

But then I found some shoes on the site that with a neck-wrenching quickness made me forget how aggravated I was by Louboutin's stubborness.  The brand that caught my eye is aptly called Punitive Shoes and damn are they freaky! Which of course, I have no problem with. It's just more evidence in my mind that YES the aliens did interbreed with apes millions of years ago and we are the literally fucked results--we can't just be happy sitting in a tree eating a banana, rather our alien-in-animal brains are compelled to think up 15 different ways to creatively shove said fruit up our collective asses. And given how little newness there is in fashion, they're certainly a breath of fresh air. Besides, it's fun to imagine trying to get around in these. How long do you figure before your toes are blistered and burning? Twenty minutes tops? And twenty lashes for you for even contemplating the pain!

Anyway, take a look-see for yourself, little dahlinks:

^^I like these white ones best, in part 'cause the color is hot, but also 'cause, I don't know, I'm feeling the mental-institution-a-la-1950s vibe.

^^Then again, black is so much more versatile and the straps give the shoes that added bondage oomph.

^^Perfect for slogging through the snow and ice!

^^For the girl who never did get that pony her Daddy promised her!

According to the site: "Comfortable and balanced shape for easy walking."

I guess the one thing that surprises me is that there's enough people out there to keep a company like this in business. More power to their punitive selves!

Enjoy!

Lois: LSakany at Gmail.com

M.O.B. designer Leah brought the good shit for summer 2007, as modeled by the infamous forever Sweet Sixteen! (I like the blue tank at the bottom best!)

For more images of this bittersweet photo shoot, visit Married to the Mob.

All images shot by Lynette Astaire

Ta!

Lois: LSakany @ gmail dot com

Of all the mainstream U.S. fashion magazines, it's been clear for a while now that Elle's content dominates. The fashion overall is much more forward and attuned to up-and-coming designers, and the quality of the writing is very high. When the mag's longer features aren't though-provoking, they're entertaining/funny. Sometimes Vogue will still beat out Elle on photo shoot spreads, but not this month (and in fact, this month's issue of Vogue was entirely forgetable).

The June issue was as usual packed full of great stuff so I though I'd pay tribute to it by posting up what I thought were the issue's highlights:

^^First up is the the letter from the editor. Her rant over the b.s. outrage over skinny models, which was inspired by comments made by the hosts of The View, isn't as good as mine, then again, she has to guard against looking like she has anger management issues and couldn't cuss. (In the editorial, however, she does say  that watching The View segment "took her breath away," which, let's face it folks, is fancy-fashion-mag code speak for "had me cussing out all four of those beeyatches for at least 15 minutes straight!")

The best part of the editorial comes when she responds to Joy Behar's (incredibly fucking stupid) comment, calling the editors of women's magazines "war criminals." She says--sorry, but I don't know the editor-in-chief's name; she signed her letter, but her handwriting flat-out sucks!: "Clearly Mr. Behar doesn't read magazines, but her accusations align with the public's general misperception about the roots of eating disorders, particularly anorexia (in fact, it's largely heritable and negligibly influenced by media, according to all the good research) and its prevlence: according to the National Institute of Mental Health, it afflicts between 0.5 and 3.7 percent of the female population. [Snip: I'm typing this by hand people. You want to read the whole thing, click to enlarge the above image!] Since 1980, the number of overweight adolescents has tripled, and 80 percent of those remain obese into adulthood..." Exactly!

Next up was the fashion featured throughout the magazine. Here's just one of several spiffy items that caught my eye:

^^The shoe is by Dsquared and at $1,080, it aint never gonna grace my feet, but oh well. A girl can dream and just as important, feel happier for knowing that shoes like this exist.  

^^I'm getting to the point where I'm sort of over "Girls Next Door," but this article was a pretty cool read. At first it was bugging the shit out of me 'cause the author (Daphne Merken) tends to run-on sentence and speak in parenthetical phrases like I often do, which was reminding me of how much my writing can suck, but then she straightened things out and I got sucked into the story's focus on my favorite bunny, Kendra.

In the end, the author seemed geniunely concerned about Kendra's future. Either Daphne is just naturally a Mommy type or she was trying to be funny cuz I know I aint worrying about some 19-year old, who on top of being completely bangin', already owns a condo! Somehow I think that Hef or no Hef, Kendra will work it out.

^^This was actually from May's issue, but I've been meaning to post it for a while. It's another page of nifty fashion items and this one features my fave up-and-coming designer, Leah of M.O.B.! And see, that's what I mean by Elle being more forward. Its ear is just closer to the ground than its competitors.

 ^^This one actually has little to do with Elle as a magazine. It's just an ad in this month's issue, but I wanted to post it 'cause Kimora deserves props for finally shooting a picture, in which she looks hot and not all fat-necked like she usually does (and that of course is because she smartened up and didn't let her neck be shown!). I swear, I love this crazy woman's moxie and all, but I'm thinking she must have been a defensive lineman in her last life!

That's all for now, kids!

Smooches!

Lois: Lsakany @ gmail.com

If you shop the Downtown New York boutiques, it’s a pretty sure bet that your eye has been caught by some 80%20 shoes. Both clever and sweet, the brand has been a favorite of sneakeristas since it officially launched just two years ago. Over the past year, designer Ce Ce Chin has expanded her reach via a line of boots, including the hidden wedge Tammy, aka, the padded bra of the footwear world. CWK recently interviewed her to see how she was able to launch a shoe line (which is only 18 billion times more complicated than starting a tee-shirt line), what’s up-and-coming, and of course, what would a CWK interview be if we didn’t pry into her shoe closet??

^^Here's Ce Ce in her home away from home. If you'd like to see her shoes in action, check out this 80%20 video, which features the Tammy.  

CWK: Where does the name 80%20 come from?

Ce Ce: The ideology behind 80%20 comes from the observation that we tend to wear our favorite 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time and that these shoes are definitely part of the 20% you can't live without.

CWK: How did you get your start in fashion?

Ce Ce: I was a handbag designer in the industry. I wanted to do my own line. I was playing around with the shoes and when I wore my custom designs people really responded. And I decided, I’m gonna just go with this. It was more of a hobby test.

CWK: Did you study design in college?

Ce Ce: I was a political science major, but I got into fashion when I moved to New York and realized that was the way I wanted to go. I worked for two really big companies—Calvin Klein and Michael Kors. Before that I had worked with a smaller company that did work for those bigger companies and that’s where I got the foundation on how to build a collection and get distributed.

CWK: When did you launch 80%20?

Ce Ce: My first year was July of 2003. And then I was doing more customizing, air brushing patterns on to shoe. I wasn’t producing my own lasts. My first official collection launched in spring 2005. I spent a lot of time the year before that visiting with the factories.

CWK: Where are the shoes manufactured?

Ce Ce: The same factory that in China that does La Coq Sportif also manufactures 80%20.

CWK: Was it more difficult dealing with manufacturers as a woman?

Ce Ce: The fact that was I was a woman didn’t get in the way. I was just so determined. I flew over there and visited the factory. I had a determined spirit and I wasn’t going to take no for an answer. The tenacity is what helped.

CWK: Did you have to put together a business plan to get people to work with you?

Ce Ce: Not really, I knew which stores I wanted to sell to, but I didn’t have a formal business plan. It’s a work in progress. I had a lot of luck and tenacity in the beginning.

CWK: Who were the first retailers to carry your line?

Ce Ce: My first store ever was Shop on the Lower East Side. Her customer was the Downtown girl. She has a lot of great denim and I fit into her mix well. That was in 2003 and we still sell to her. My first sneaker store was Conveyor, which is part of Fred Segal. And both of those stores are ones that other retailers follow and help get the word out.

CWK: How is it finding new retailers?

Ce Ce: That’s challenging. A lot is forming relationships between buyers at trade shows and keeping buyers aware of press, which can take time, but if you’re true to yourself and doing what you believe in, people are more likely to give you a chance.

CWK: How many stores is 80%20 in now?

Ce Ce: Over 100 for spring. I have one store in Japan and one in Greece. I have a Canadian distributor that has done well with the brand, too.  

^^In stores now!

^^Also in stores now!

CWK: How do you get exposure for the brand?

Ce Ce:We do the trade shows and there’s a lot of press people at the trade shows and that gives us exposure, but to a certain degree it’s about being present in the culture of New York City, meeting people through what you do ordinarily and just enjoying your life.”

CWK: Have your shoes had any brushes with famous people?

Ce Ce: At one of the first trade shows I did, Shalom Harlow came up and really liked them, and getting that reaction was a good thing. One funny thing, this friend of mind found a picture of DJ AM kissing my shoes, but that was more of a random type of thing.

CWK: Your designs get copied a lot by competitors. How do you deal with that?

Ce Ce: It’s really rough. You just have to move on. The industry has a lot of that going on and it’s not just shoes, it’s fashion in general. Even the hidden wedge we just did, I know a lot of people will copy it, but still, there’s a personal satisfaction that I did it first. I guess if I were bigger, I could do something about it, but it’s not worth the time and energy.

CWK: So what can we expect for fall?

Ce Ce: For fall we’re doing our hidden wedge, the Tammy, in leather. It’s really been opening up new doors for us. It takes us beyond a company that just does sneakers. In Japan, there’s a department stored called Isetan, which picked it up, and I don’t know if we would have gotten in there without the boot.

^^This is the hidden wedge Tammy in canvas

^^And here's a CWK exclusive peak at Ce Ce's take on high tops. Cute, right? This one's called the Lexi and you won't be able to get your mitts on it until fall.  

CWK: What trends are hot right now in footwear?

Ce Ce: Anything with an almond toe rather than a pointed or round toe. Color is important and comfort is important. You have to be on your feet so a shoe that’s comfortable will never fail.

CWK: How much longer is canvas going to be hot?

Ce Ce: There’s a lot of social consciousness these days and canvas for some reason fits in with that mindset. Going forward, I think it depends on what you do with canvas. I see a mixture of textiles as opposed to just canvas. When qw got into the vulcanized canvas trend when it was just starting and now so many people are doing it and doing it cheaper so it makes it tough for a small brand like ours to compete.

CWK: We at ChicksWithKicks always have to ask, how’s your kicks collection?

Ce Ce: I have the Nike salmon skin Blazers [Note: the official sneaker of CWK!], I love those. I would love to get some VisVim, but I don’t think they make those for women. I also have the original Nike split toe from 1996.

CWK: Do you collect?

Ce Ce: I’m not a collector with a whole closet full of shoes. I wouldn’t consider myself a sneaker head.

CWK: What labels do you like?

Ce Ce: I love [update:]Tsumori Chisato, who’s from Japan. She’s done some great shoes and VisVim is great. They are both designers who can inject some fashion into a sneaker. F-Troop and P.F. Fliers look really good now, too. For fashion, I think Marc Jacobs is fantastic. He’s proven himself season after season. And Trovata is really great.

CWK: What do you wear day-to-day?

Ce Ce: Pretty much skinny jeans and maybe my Tammy boots and a narrow silhouette top with a hoody or little jacket.

CWK: What trends do you see as dead?

Ce Ce: The low waist denim thing—it’s not very flattering on a lot of people and I’m definitely over that. But if the waist is going to come up, it’ll have to go gradually. A high waist can make your legs look long, which is great. All-over prints are a bit much, especially the real graphic ones. I just think graphics in general are old. I’d like to see things get a little more tailored, with people wearing things more fitted and structured and not so casual. The whole sweatsuit thing is horrifying.

CWK: Any advice to the young designers out there thinking of starting a line?

Ce Ce: Young designers tend to be focused on the product and how cool it will be, but there’s so much more to it. My advice is to embrace the fact that there will be obstacles. It’s just hard. No one said it would be easy though.

Thanks very much, Ce Ce!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Lois: LSakany at Gmail.com