fashion shoes | Trends & Tribulations

Shoe label Bionda Castana, which means Blonde Brunette in Italian, is named after the British footwear designers’ nickname. The duo, Jennifer Portman and Natalia Barbieri, combine Italian craftsmanship with their edgy London roots and old-world luxury. Each pair of shoes are crafted in a remote town outside of Milan.

For their Spring 2015 line, they focused on giving patterns a sophisticated makeover. Grids, dots, and stripes are all staples, while paying homage to the glamour of the 1950’s and 60’s.

Check out these ‘Bay’ pumps below, featuring a monochrome black and white grid print and transparent mesh side detailing.

‘Bay’ – Double Panel Black and White Grid Print Single Sole Pump, $510

These ‘Bay’ style pumps also come in a navy & sky blue polka dot pattern, which are every bit as fabulous.

‘Bay’ – Navy and Sky Blue Polka-Dot Single Sole Pump, $510

Which are your favorite?

As technology becomes more prevalent in our lives, the emerging coinciding fashion trend seems to have an emphasis on futuristic. Some of it is quirky (say, DVF for Google Glass), some of it innovative (3D-printed jewelry? Yes, please), and some of it… questionable.

Meet the Nova Shoe Chrome Vinyl Wedges by Zaha Hadid for United Nude from Luisaviaroma. This exclusive edition heel is an interesting take on the phantom heel wedge, with a 160mm Carbon fiber wedge heel and a 60mm Carbon fiber internal platform. Although these are certainly heels that will get you noticed, I’m not so sure how much sex appeal they have. But then again, if you feel like a sexy show stopper in these, that’s really all that matters, anyway.