I had an interesting train of visual thought this evening as I was shopping the summer sales online. A Leifsdottir maxi dress caught my eye at Anthropologie – not because it was something I would necessarily buy, but because the floral sketch print reminded me of something else. That something else was a series of light fixtures I have long since pined over by Schoolhouse Electric in collaboration with artist Yellena James. Of course, Yellena’s work reminded me of Jill Bliss, who’s botanical notebooks I’ve also been a fan of for years. All these items share a style of illustration that I’ve always gravitated to: a mix of intricate organic line work, stippled areas of shading, and re-imagined nature.

But how might this beautiful aesthetic translate into shoes (without being so literal as to print an illustration directly on the upper)? No need to look further than the king of statement shoes himself, Nicholas Kirkwood, who’s signature avant-garde style never fails to inspire and impress. His designs are more often described as architectural, but I found a few styles in his Spring 11 collection that easily work as three dimensional interpretations of the amoebic illustrations that stole my attention tonight. Please enjoy the visual connection…