WINS RETAIL BUYERS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
SPRING 2010-FFANY
Hilton Hotel, Sixth Avenue/54th Street
June 10th, 2009
Words, Images Judith Ecochard
It’s an exceedingly rare occurrence in our lives…a serious case of musthave-itis...
…but about five years ago, YSL- under the maestroTom Ford- conjured up a glorious Lucite heel strappy sandal number, with an oversized red velvet flower adorning the upper. The clear, sky-high heels were embedded with sparkling gold confetti pieces, an engineering feat for the feet.
The cocktail kickers sold out at the Big Apple store… in a New York minute, naturally. We lived in Washington DC at the time…so securing a pair, was not a problem.
Fashion, not exactly a talking point in our nation’s capital at that time... was a plus for us. This was the metropolis where we scooped up the H&M Victor & Rolf collection at a leisurely pace- with like two other guys (who scored all the wedding gowns, HELLO?!)…while those other H&M outlets barely controlled the buyers’ frenzies that cleared those shelves in the first fifteen minutes!
And we thought about all this when we walked into the Hilton Hotel Suite where the upscale shoe collection by MAGRIT- had a posh assortment of sandals, evening wear, pumps, sling backs and sexy stilettos on display.
For as it turns out, this Spanish based family owned company- has been making shoes for several elegant brands including our precious sandals (YSL) and other high end labels such as Carolina Herrera.
SIGNATURE CLAIM TO FAME:
Creativity and colors with pizzazz were in the assortment we previewed…with daring combinations of materials (suede, leather, lucite, silk rope, wood) in any give pair... and embellishments like no other.
We actually felt like Cinderella’s stepsister as we tried to slide on a sample size 7 on our mottled feet.
Though there was quite the bodily overhang, we could tell that these particular sandals were supportive--- with a cushioning midsole and breathable linings. Espadrilles, so popular for summer, sport easy to walk in wedges… and are definitely on our coveted list.
“Comfort is the most important element,” Pepe Sr. told us.
These graceful peds, so wonderfully adoptive for day to night wear, are a terrific value too...
(priced in “Contemporary” and “Affordable Designer,” ranges)… given the quality of construction, materials (Swarovski crystals, hand painted raffia, buttery Italian leathers), and luscious designs.
BEST SELLERS: Crystal bow satin and oversized flower peep toe party shoes.
PLUS: A select group of bejeweled handbags and clutches are also available.
BACKSTORY: Seventy-five years old, the family run business is currently run by the third and fourth generations of the Mira family (Pepe and Pepe Jr Amat). Based in the Alicante region of Spain, the shoes are 100% crafted by highly skilled Spaniards, in-house, not farmed out to regions far flung.
INFO: MAGRIT E-Commerce site launches in September 2009.