ASOS Handled Geometric Wedges

Loving these ASOS geometric print 'Handle Wedges'.  What I like about them is their casual feel with the cloth material with the jazzed up pattern and crisscross detail.  Personally, I don't think they are meant for a night out at the club but definitely cute for a family barbecue or a lunch date with friends.

Shoe features geometric print, cross over straps upper, exposed zipper at heel, 5.5" heel, and 1.8" chunky platform. Retailed at $83.50 at ASOS.

*Pics courtesy of ASOS.com

The Scooter Sporty by Topshop

Incase you haven't noticed the neon shoes are definitely "IN" this summer....in fact the brighter the better.  So are clear/transparent shoes and sporty shoes.  The 'Scooter Sporty' sandal which has an obvious sporty vibe as the name describes but also come in a neon yellow color.  This summer shoe from Top shop will help you kill 2 birds with one styllish stone.

The shoe features yellow patent leather upper with cutout mesh detail, 5" heel, and 1.25" metallic platform.  Retailed at $156 at Topshop.

Also available in white...

*Pictures courtesy of Topshop

L.A.M.B. - Justice Sandal

Now there is a slight possibility that the reason why I love these shoes is because they have the flag colors of my country (Jamaica) and perhaps the shoes are inspired by the inland...I mean Gwen Stefani's eldest son is named Kingston.  Either way these stripy colorful sandals definitely remind me of the island and are a hot summer pick.

Shoe features mix of green, yellow, and black crisscross straps, leather upper, adjustable ankle strap, 5" heel, and .75" platform.  Retailed at $289 ($260) at Heels.

*Pics courtesy of Heels.com

CASADEI CROSS OVER WEDGES

This shoe just screams "Wear me"!  As you all know I'm a sucker for wedges and these Casadei Cross Over Wedges are no exception.  I love the contrast of the criss cross leather straps with the wooden cutout wedge heel/platform.  Lastly, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Beige/Orange version perfect for this summer!  Shoe retailed at $1,320 and limited quantity available and Luisaviaroma.

Check out the Casadei Sculpture Wedges as well for a similar style in Burgundy/Pink also available at Luisaviaroma (shown below); retailed at $1200.

*Pic courtesy of Luisaviaroma.com*

Spiked Intuition by Ashlei Banks

After meeting Ashlei Banks, the owner and creator of Spiked Intuition, last Fall I have been patiently waiting for the opportunity to interview her. I've followed her budding career via Twitter and Facebook only to watch her blossom into an amazing shoe embellisher, blogger, and entrepreneur. In a matter of months Ashlei managed to have her shoes seen on VH1's reality show 'Love & Hip Hop' via Hip Hop Starlet Somaya Reece, as well as, debuting her collection this past March in CT's biggest fashion experience; the 3rd Annual Ricky Trendy Da'Vista Runway Show.  Recently, I got the chance to ask Ashlei some questions about Spiked Intuition's past, present, and future and all I can say is ladies if you're into edgy, sexy, and flirty shoes then Spiked Intuition is for you.

(Me) When, how, and what inspired you to begin Spiked Intuition?

(Ashlei) About a year ago I saw a pair of [kick ass] shoes Nicki Minaj wore for Summer Jam 2010, the price was over $1200, I wanted them so bad and didn’t want to pay that so I challenged myself. After 2 weeks and $500 later I had the same exact shoes. My dad has always admired my creativity and is a firm believer in “being your own boss”. Every business idea I come up with, no matter how out of this world my visions are, he’s always told me to “Stop talking about it and be about it.” I showed him the shoes and that’s when it all started.

(Me) Did you have any background in design or is it all natural talent?

(Ashlei) All natural baby! (laughs) The time between me thinking about something and actually doing it is usually a matter of hours. I’ve always been that way. Spontaneous. If I would have enrolled in design classes to see if that was something I really wanted to do I would have lost my desire before I completed the classes. BUT now that I’m sure that this is my thing I plan on sharpening my skills by talking a few classes and indulging more in field.

READ MORE HERE...

Stylist Nolan Wells presents The Wild One's

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending a live presentation by local celebrity wardrobe stylist Nolan Wells. The event, entitled The Wild One's, showcased Nolan's F/W 2012 style picks inspired by the late 80's grunge era and rock idols like The Cars and Journey. The show was held at the world famous Basketball Hall of Fame located in Springfield, MA. Wells also donated a portion of the event proceeds to Naim Mafuz a Springfield high school teen who was in a prom night 2010 car accident that left him paralyzed. Friends, family, fashion lovers, and local press came out by the dozens to support hometown sweet heart and ubber talented Wells.

The show was a hit with a mix of major designers like Gucci and Prada and upcoming designers like Everett Hoag, Zack Lo, and Mama Iguana's. With this showcase Wells was able to make his vision a reality; in his own words:

 "My goal for this show was to mix edgy street wear with many patterns to glamourous gowns edged up to hit the streets.  For men I chose bulky flight jackets with heavy boots and light weight plaids for the waist. I mixed a variety of wide brim hats with less traditional flight hats. For the ladies, I mixed great dresses layered up for that warm effect. I used more of a current fashion, the Turban to bring the today flare to the looks."

I was also able to catch Wells after the show as well to ask him some questions about the event and his future plans (video below).  I've added the Q&A below as well in print since it's a bit hard to hear his response int he video (note to self invest in an iPad microphone).  Also, excuse the 50 millions times I say "Awesome!" in the interview...technically it was my 2nd time giving an interview so I'm working on it.  : )

Me: "You just finished your show; how do you feel?"

Nolan: "I'm very happy I think it came out great. I like to think about positive things and not what could have been better. So I think with that said I feel like I did a good job and everything came out the way I'd hoped."

Me: "When did you first fall in love with fashion?"

Nolan: "High school senior year I got the opportunity to style a show there at my school so I decided to try it out and that was my first show.  That's when I really fell in love with fashion and then being a stylist."

Me: "Talk about some of the people that you've styled for recently."

Nolan: "Recently Karina Smirnoff [Dancing with The Stars] is my client right now. I'm also going to be styling Justin Krinoll [sp] he's a new artist coming out; I'm working with him so I'm really looking forward to that and also some other opportunities."

Me: "Have you ever thought about designing or anything like that?"

Nolan: "I have, right now I want to accomplish being a stylist and then move forward and do maybe accessories and shoes."

Me: " So, what's next for Nolan Wells?"

Nolan: "Next I'll be moving. Not sure where yet I'm looking in L.A. and in New York.  But I'll definitely be moving and I'll be opening up a company and a show room wherever I move."

Tell me you didn't just fall in love with him after that video...I did.  I'm really impressed with Nolan and everything he's done as such a young age.  Mark my words he's going places...so keep and eye out for him fashion lovers.

Picture time!  Please check out the some pictures my oh so multi-talented assistant (@Ki-Labella) was able to get at the show (at end of post).

Versace Studded Suede Mesh Clear Platform Sandals

Heyyyyyyy!  These Versace studded platforms so give me high end Vegas call girl...that's right Daddy $2k just to buy me a drink!  What's great about these shoes is that they tap into that secret (not so secret in some women) compartment we women have where we want to be a little slutty but look expensive doing it.  I for one love them and feel they give off the right amount of naughty without looking cheap and tacky.  What do you guys think?  Bad Bytch - Bold Bytch - or is she just a Boring Bytch?

Shoe features suede and mesh upper with gold studs, cutout detail, transparent Lucite 6" wedged heels, and 2.5" platform.  Retailed at $1,895 and available at Net-A-Porter.