“Fashie” women lie sometimes. And during Fashion Week is no exception. Any fashie who tells you they wear five inch stiletto  heels to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, covers  a minimum of five shows a day, goes to an after party EVERY night and then stays up to write editorial recaps on the collections until 4 a.m. the next day, and of course is ushered seamlessly into shows un-exhausted is full of crap embellishing on fact. Fashion Week, be it in New York, London, Milan, Paris, Germany, India or Timbuktoo, is mind numbingly, body slammingly, physically excessive and mentally abusive. It is also, without a doubt, the most crazy, hair up on the arms tingly, joyful, energetically charged environment you could ever wish to drown in.  I LOVE IT!  Wouldn’t change a thing, (well, maybe a couple of tiny things…..:) but truth be told, it is highly addictive!

However, as with any desire, to function properly while attaining it, one must prepare, and therein lies the SURVIVAL.OF.THE.FITTEST.

Which brings me to the bottom of it all.   The feet. The feet which hold you up for 12 hours at a time during the collections, interviewing, taping, filming, photographing, waiting in line, oh, and did I mention walking back to your hotel because it is impossible,  challenging, to get a cab during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and….again I digress. Bottom line… To function on a day to day basis, regardless of where you are,and what you do for a living, women want and need cool, sexy, hip, comfy proper shoes to function and to transport themselves about.

Thank goodness for the Footwear from Spain Showcase at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week! The coolest brands were on display, like Chie Mihara (a long time favourite of mine for myself and my image clientele) Magrit, Pura Lopez, and Sendra Boots!  The quality of each brand  is outstanding, and their styling so current, yet truly timeless, so original and clever aesthetically. It was oh, so refreshing to see something other than a 6″ heel on an already 6′ tall model this week!

SPANISH BRANDS I LOVE, WANT, NEED ASAP!

CHIE MIHARA:   Chie Mihara was born in Brazil of Japanese parents and was educated at F.I.T. in  New York. She then knew she wanted to design shoes and five years ago, she created a line of footwear with her husband(who also owns a shoe component factory)  that carries her name. Her shoes are carried in chic boutiques, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bergdorf Goodman. Chie defines her collection as naive, nostalgic and feminine with an urban edge. She builds platforms into each shoe, and designs heels that range from flat to 3 inches, all wearable, comfortable and stylish. Smart cookie.

MAGRIT: The Magrit Company has been making shoes since for over 75 years. Started 4 generations ago by  José Amat Sanchiz, and based in the city of Elda (Alicante) in Spain, Magrit is one of the oldest shoe manufacturers in Spain, and has a rich history of producing footwear for royalty across Europe including Princess Letizia of Spain and Queen Elizabeth. In addition to their own collection, Magrit manufacturers over 200,000 pairs of shoes per year including for designers such as Carolina Herrera and YSL. Magrit is focused on femininity, comfort and high fashion. Known for their exquisite design details and unmatched comfort, women around the world are admired for wearing Magrit. Elegant styles dripping with brilliant Swarovski crystal detailing, hand-painted raffia and sumptuous silk ribbons are just a few of the embellishments that has turned Magrit into a global fashion brand.The key element to Magrit’s design is most importantly a “no limits” design philosophy. As comfort is the fundamental building block on which every shoe is designed, once this is achieved colors and adornments create a unique design aesthetic. Gorgeous, gorgeous and more gorgeous!

PURA LOPEZ: One of my other favourites at the showcase was Pura Lopez’ brand. Born in the small Spanish town of Elche in Spain, the brand’s namesake Pura López was raised in a family with a long standing tradition of manufacturing. Since the mid 50’s, the López family has been handcrafting footwear with innovative design and close attention to detail.With a diverse background ranging from Interior Design to Fashion Design within Spain, her travels moved her New York and Milan to study Footwear and Pattern Design. After resisting the pull of from her family, in 1986, she agreed to join the family business, working in the design, development and production department. Within one short year later, the Pura López brand was created. Today, the Pura López brand name is the hallmark of Dalp International, the family business founded in 1956. I love to see history in a brand.

SENDRA BOOTS: Last but definitely not least, for all you cowboy boot collectors, it has to be Sendra Boots! Established over 100 years ago in Almansa, Spain, Sendra has evolved from its classic cowboy roots to become a fashion forward men’s and women’s line that retains the durability of a western boot. Inspired by a passion for high quality cowboy boots, riding boots and professional footwear, in 1913 Andres Sendra, the son of leather tanners created Sendra Boots with its trademark Goodyear Welt construction. They have THOUSANDS of the most rockin’ designs you have ever experienced!

Here is a wonderful video clip on all these terrific Spanish brands!