Jimmy Choo opts for a bold, punk-inspired collection for autumn/winter '09
Image courtesy of Jimmy Choo
With stud detailing, the Karina (€ 950) is one of a number of punk-inspired designs in the Jimmy Choo autumn/winter collection.
Monday July 06 2009
Taking its cue from the era whose anthem was 'God Save the Queen’, Jimmy Choo's autumn/winter collection offers fashionistas an interesting twist on trends last seen in the early 1980s.
The collection of bags and shoes, some of which is already available at Brown Thomas, is a lot edgier than what many had been anticipating from the luxury shoe brand in the current economic climate.
“It’s [the collection] kind of gone a little punk which is unusual for a label so highly priced,” says fashion writer Angela Scanlon who said the looks are very “fresh” and likely to create trends mimicked on the high street.
The two centre pieces of the collection are the Jazz pumps - pink zebra-printed suede shoes with chunky black leather straps - and the open-toe Karina calf-heel, made from mesh scalloped along the ankle line and outlined with silver studs.
Zebra and tiger prints feature heavily across the range in both pink and blue, and the fishnet detailing along with lace cuts-outs are just some of the trends likely to set this collection apart from its predecessors.
The bold statement shoes and bags have detailing not available in regular stores, despite the brand’s upcoming collaboration with fashion retailer H&M, which is due to hit the shops in November.
“The fabrics used set them apart from anything on the high street,” says Angela. “You pay for your detail.”
With prices ranging from €275 for a pair of ballet-style pumps to an eye-watering €2,050 for a cobalt blue leopard-printed Odette bag, there’s no doubt that those who chose to favour this brand this autumn/winter will definitely not go unnoticed. “They’re not the most discreet shoes,” says Angela who notes that those still happy to pay for their sliver of couture shoes may not want to draw attention to themselves.
Though for Irish customers, there is the added element of the brand’s one-off collaboration with Donegal tweed for two shoes - a pair of brown riding boots (Breidin, €825) featuring a fun tweed cut-out in the calf and a pair of black, scrunchable ankle boots (Twillen, €795) lined with bright-blue tweed that can be folded over to sit above the ankle.
The label considers the shoes a real coup for local fashionistas as they will on be available in Dublin and 25 percent of net sales of the Irish designs will be donated to the charity Irish Autism Action.
The era of the ‘It’ bag though is most definitely over, says Angela, as can be seen in the more muted clutches and oversized bags on offer. The Blythe textured calf leather, which comes in black and red in two sizes, features conservative buckle detailing on both sides of the bags. The label’s clutches are, however, much more dramatic, with both the Tube and Cosma bags featuring bright colours and clever studding to create lightweight easy to manage purses that the celebrity set are likely to pounce on.
“The smaller styles are more risky,” says Angela. “The bigger bags are more classic in style and carry on from the rest of the collection.”
Aspects of this collection will be reflected in the H&M collaboration which Angela says is a smart way of creating brand awareness with younger fashion-conscious clients who aren’t quite at the earning level of those who normally buy Jimmy Choo.
“Tamara Mallon is going for a younger market,” she says. “They [Jimmy Choo] are tapping into a younger market that will have the cash to splash in the years to come.”
- Danielle Cahill
