Take a Hike

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Katie

The fashion trend influenced by a heritage outdoor aesthetic has enjoyed a much longer shelf life than most seasonal trends. From flannel to fair isle, it is a practical answer to fall and winter wardrobes and offers a large pool of crafted details for today’s designers to be inspired by in their modern interpretations. The classic hiking boot, specifically, is the perfect starting point from which to spin an understandable but fashion forward iteration, and there have been many! I, myself, was bitten by the outdoor bug while designing at Vans in early 2009 and decided to veneer one of our women’s high-top sneakers with traditional hiking boot styling. The shoe was a big hit and I’ve been adding distressed leathers and boot hardware to my sneaker designs ever since.

Vans Girls Wellesley Hiker PR one-sheet // Kristen Stewart spotted in Wellesley Hiker shoes at LAX on February 18, 2011 (via kristenstewartfashion.blogspot.com)

Somewhere along the way, I remember hearing from my product manager at Vans that Kristen Stewart’s stylist had requested a few pairs of our Wellesley Hikers for potential use in one of the upcoming Twilight movies. Fast forward a couple of years and this cool bit of information came flooding back to me as soon as I spotted my shoe designs on the big screen in Breaking Dawn: Part 1. They’re featured in an irresistibly cute scene, in which Bella, the natural beauty naive to all things fashion, agonizes over having to practice walking in the white satin high heel wedding shoes her soon-to-be sister-in-law has picked out for her. She can’t wait to get back into her trusty hiking boot sneaks, which fit perfectly with her woodsy Washington-state style. Oh the irony that in such an effortless outfit, Bella is, in fact, on trend.

Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Alice (Ashley Greene) immersed in wedding prep. Screen shots from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 // close-up view of the Vans Wellesley Hiker brown colorway

As honored as I am that both Kristen and her character, Bella, seem to like my design, the custom wedding shoe designer in me can’t help but give pause to the hypothetical question of whether Bella might have preferred a hiking boot inspired wedding shoe? Maybe white lace-embossed leather on a wedge with a luggy sole and of course, the traditional red hiker laces. Thankfully, the high-heeled hiker is already a reality in the marketplace and with a continuous stream of evolutions on this rustic-chic hybrid, it’s safe to say the outdoor fashion trend isn’t going anywhere.

From L to R: Steven Alan boot, Boutique 9 Demarko, United Nude Crazy Lacy, Jeffrey Campbell Everest

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The Feline Formula

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Katie

As a self proclaimed cat person, raised in a family of cat people (see photo above of my sister Betsy, circa 1987), I can get a little obsessed over anything cat related. I realize only some of you will really appreciate what I’m talking about here, but even if you aren’t a big fan of the felines, it’s hard to deny there isn’t something inherently cute about them. Is it the ears? It seems that when you stick two rounded triangles on top of anything it suddenly becomes irresistible… Continue reading →

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Beaver Creek Chic

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Katie

A few months ago a vintage leather jacket came into my possession. It was a boxy men’s bomber with a torn lining and little to no relevant style. Nevertheless, the supple worn leather was too nice to be cast aside and screamed for repurposing. One look at this large amount of tan leather and I knew it was destined to become some kind of western boot. With plans for a ski trip to Beaver Creek, Colorado coming up, I set out to design a chic little bootie to wear on vacation.

I had recently purchased a great sweater coat covered in an all-over horse pattern, which I was already planning on wearing in Colorado. This inspired the equestrian details of the boot design – from the decorative waxed lace over the instep, the pinked edge of the tongue, and the long tassel in the back, which looks like a horse’s tail. The tassels are attached to zippers, which were reused from the jacket pockets, and I added a shearling lining to ensure the booties were ready for winter in Colorado.

One of my favorite places in Beaver Creek is the Ritz Carlton, Bachelor Gulch – a gorgeous grand hotel built in classic National Park-lodge style. The Ritz sits right in prime ski-in-ski-out position, creating a postcard-perfect panorama against the glorious backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. On a day off from the slopes, I spent an afternoon there at the outdoor fire pit, listening to some great live music by acoustic guitarist Robert Ingman. For more photos of the Ritz and the custom shoes made for this special day, check out the Leather Horse Tail Booties in the Gallery section.

Field Flower sweater coat from Anthropologie, Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent black dress, vintage wood and turquoise belt buckle, Charlie Middleton of Sydney shearling purse

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Travel Journal: Northern Europe

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Katie

After nearly 4 years, I was thrilled to be back in Europe last week on a shopping trip for work at Converse. For the most part the rain/snow held out and the overcast skies gave the cities we visited a cool gothic vibe as we braved the brisk winter air, darting from store to store. In this photo journal, I’ve gathered a small handful of images (out of the 1000’s of photos my coworkers and I snapped throughout the week) to give you a peek at my favorite moments from the trip.

A very apropos vintage book cover. // A rare glimpse of sky-blue-pink set behind one of the picturesque houses of Amsterdam’s chic Nine Streets, a shopping area nestled within the city’s canal network which is patterned like concentric water ripples.
Continue reading →

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Misc. Six

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Katie

#1. Having been off the technology grid for a whole week while in Belize, over the past few days I’ve been getting my internet fix by diving deep into all my favorite fashion and design sites. The result is a random assortment of attractive imagery and inspiring artistry, which I edited down into another Misc. Six post! I’ve definitely been noticing a large amount of content focused on nostalgic admiration over the 90s lately… From the new tumblr 90s Runway that has cropped up and Chloe Sevigny’s latest Vision Streetwear themed collection for Opening Cerermony (via highsnobette) to vintage Erin Wasson editorials (here and here) …true, those are from the 2000s. In any case, I thought I’d add a reference to the mix with this beautiful photo Studded Hearts pulled from Wonderland Mag’s Nov/Dec 2011 Fantasy issue, in which the model struck me as having a young Gwen Stefani vibe, circa Tragic Kingdom. Love.

#2. This Nixon watch is definitely on my Spring hit-list, as I am a sucker for anything blue and painterly. I’m already lucky enough to own the tortoise shell / gold version of this same model, which is one of my favorite accessories, and am convinced that adding this watercolor colorway to my arsenal would be like having the perfect yin and yang of Nixon 42-20 Chrono’s. #3. On a similar note, this two-tone sweater from Dsquared2’s Pre-Fall 2012 collection has my name written all over it (via style.com). Combining ombré over cable-knit is a great way of doing “preppy with an edge” and I’m thinking this might be a fun DIY project to spruce up an old sweater in a similar way using dye or bleach.

#4. I’m not sure where I was last spring to miss the wedding photos of country singer Miranda Lambert and the gorgeous vintage brooch bouquet she carried, but my sister recently clued me in and it didn’t take much searching to find the talented designer behind this unique wedding accessory. In fact, after reading the biography on Jennifer of The Ritzy Rose, I discovered that the two of us are very much alike, having both attended art school and designed for large corporate brands before establishing our own businesses in custom-made wedding accessories. Maybe a collaboration is in our future?

To be quite honest, most of my time online is focused as much on home décor as it is on fashion. With a new house to furnish, my husband and I are always on some sort of internet-combing treasure hunt for cool (and affordable) pieces: from rugs to wallpaper, and most often, lighting…

#5. While it is well out of our price range, I am nonetheless enamored by this stunning mid century wall light found on eBay; the juxtaposition between the strong atomic style sputnik lights interspersed by delicate flower-like glass crystals is so special and unique. The item description explains that it was designed by Emil Stejnar and produced by the well known Viennese manufacturer Rupert Nikoll in the 1950s. Dreamy. #6. Last but not least, snedker studio (found on trendir) is another great example of a designer turning to nature for inspiration in creating functional art. Artist Pernille Snedker Hansen uses an old marbling technique to add beautifully colored organic patterns across the surface of raw pinewood floorboards. She’s been nominated for many prestigious design awards and the Danish Biennale for Crafts and Design put together an interesting video about her process.

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Tangerine Tango

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Katie

In lieu of Christmas presents this year, my family took an exciting week-long adventure vacation to Belize, which more than held up to it’s tourism board tagline as “Mother Nature’s Best Kept Secret.” This small English-speaking country, nestled between Mexico and Guatemala on the Caribbean sea, offered us new and exciting activities each day: from scaling waterfalls deep inside an incredible cave system and repelling off the edge of a cliff in the jungle, to snorkeling around the bright and lively barrier reef and visiting mysterious ruins of ancient Mayan cities. As we said goodbye to 2011 in this unspoiled tropical paradise, I couldn’t help but notice that Belize was providing my color-centric mind the perfect introduction to 2012, in that everywhere I looked there were splashes of Tangerine Tango, Pantone’s official color of the coming year.

All photos by Katie and Adam Blauer

Every year, Pantone, the global authority for color reference, selects a color from a trend forecasting position which is predicted to be relevant to consumers and reflective of the times. The 2012 color is a vivacious reddish orange color called Tangerine Tango, which, much like the vibrant flora and fauna I saw in Belize, is full of life. As Leatrice Eisman, executive director at the Pantone Color Institute further describes, it is “sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive. Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it.” This energetic and motivating color is not only fun to wear, but would make for a fantastic accent color in your 2012 wedding. Try spicing up your invitations, flower arrangements, or eyeshadow palette with a pop of Tangerine Tango! Better yet, who’s up for a destination wedding in Belize!?

Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent dress, Steve Madden "Kennyya" shoes / Tangerine Tango swatch card

Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent dress, Steve Madden “Kennyya” shoes / Tangerine Tango swatch card

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Weitzman the Wise

Posted on December 17, 2011 by Katie

On December 13th, The Early Show on CBS aired a great little segment by Katrina Szish about the life and work of Stuart Weitzman, the talented shoe designer often known as the King of the Red Carpet. Stuart Weitzman shoes are a staple in the high end dress shoe category and this insight into the designer’s world was an inspiration for me to watch. Last year Weitzman sold a majority stake of his company to the Jones Group, and the rumor that he might sell off the rest by the end of next year was the critical news bite that prompted the interview. With Weitzman, at 70 years old, still sketching 1000 shoe designs every season and presiding as lead designer on every single pair of shoes he sells, the industry is definitely wondering about his plans for the future. But even more than this prolific work ethic, put into 25 years at the company that bares his name, it’s Weitzman’s attitude about his work that is the most inspiring. Much like myself, he calls it his hobby. When Katrina asks if relinquishing the remaining shares to the Jones Group would translate into retirement, Weitzman answers laughingly, “No. You retire from a job, but who retires from a hobby? I don’t think anybody does. I certainly won’t.”

Above is a screen shot of Stuart Weitzman proudly showing off the upper of the first shoe he made, called Sheer Delight. To make this this elegant jewel encrusted style, the nude mesh is cut away leaving a scalloped throat-line around the foot. Pulling this piece out of the archives, Weitzman is struck with the idea that they should bring this beautiful design back into the line and start producing it again! Sheer Delight would definitely be perfect for a Cinderella style wedding and I love that Weitzman and I share a love for creating memorable wedding shoes that are artistically detailed. He explains, “When I began this business, I began as a maker of bridal shoes. It was an opening; it was a niche. I went into it. Started to make them, and then evening shoes and party shoes. And we still make bridal shoes as a big part of our business.”

As a tribute to this Stuart Weitzman theme, I dug out some SW shoes from my own collection, circa 2005: a unique pair of blue leopard hair calf driving mocs with oversized crystal keepers on the vamp. Although there’s not a picture of it, the leather bottoms have big rubber SW letters as the forefoot tread. I remember these instantly catching my magpie eyes, trained to spot sparkle and whimsy from a mile away, back when I was designing children’s shoes at Stride Rite. I didn’t wear them much while living in California, but upon reuniting with them this past weekend at the library, I realized they’re still pretty irresistible. The way they liven up a preppy East Coast winter outfit is definitely worth working them back into rotation, with the added benefit that now every time I wear them, I’ll be reminded of the great inspiration that is Stuart Weitzman.

Wrangler Black Label blouse, Rag & Bone Paper Bag leather shorts, Alexander Wang Darcy bag

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Road Trip Recap

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Katie

The day after stopping at the Grand Canyon on our cross country drive this past summer, we visited Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. I dare say that while I know we didn’t scratch the surface of things to see and do at the Grand Canyon, between the two, I enjoyed the scenery at Arches much more. (From the beauty of Moab to the unfailing snow conditions we’ve experienced in Park City over the years, I’m surprised we didn’t just end our road trip right there in Utah!) Anyway, I knew immediately that Arches, with its other-worldly landscape, was the perfect place to snap a pic holding the latest issue of Stowe Guide & Magazine – an idea my Aunt Donna from Stowe, Vermont, had given us before we set out on our trip. Like many publications often do, the magazine devotes a page in every issue to “globetrotters” like us who encounter exciting places and fortuitously have the magazine on hand. Last month we received the exciting news that our photo was chosen to be featured in the 2012 Winter/Spring issue, along with a lovely write-up about us, our trip, and our connection to Stowe, VT.

Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, was stop No. 2 on Katie and Adam Blauer’s cross-country drive from Huntington Beach, Calif., to Stowe, where Katie’s parents and other extended family live. Katie’s grandparents are Rose and the late Walt Snow, who were featured in the magazine in 2010 in honor of the 50-year anniversary of Snow’s farm and creemee stand; Katie even had a “cameo” in that spread as the baby in one of the photos. “Out of the whole drive, this stop in Moab was our favorite – the landscape looked like it was out of a science-fiction movie on another planet. But nothing tops the beauty of Stowe in my mind,” says Katie. “I’ve traveled all over the world and it’s still my favorite place.” Katie and Adam now reside in Lexington, Mass.

Stowe Guide & Magazine, winter / spring 2011-12, page 36

Towards the end of our trip, we stopped at The Heart of Ohio Antique Center in Springfield, OH, which stakes its claim as America’s Biggest and Best Antique Mall. I’ve been antiquing all my life and love the hunt for vintage pieces that catch my eye and/or fit into one of my many dust collecting collections on display in our house. By the end of the day, however, we had only accumulated a handful of small items for my parents, who are also avid antique collectors (the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree). The one piece I found for myself was a mid-century style silver ring with four inset stones. The combination of colors are what first struck me, but it didn’t take long before I considered this ring a precious memento of our trip as a whole, with the four stones each representing a major stop along the way.

Clockwise from Top-Left: The brown tiger-eye stone reminds me of the exposed strata that can be seen looking into the Grand Canyon, the copper-colored goldstone is like the sun reflecting off the bright orange rock formations at Arches National Park, the deep blue Lapis represents the cool dark caves of Meramec Caverns, Missouri, and the green Malachite looks identical to the lush greenery and craftsman details Frank Lloyd Wright incorporated into his Fallingwater house in Pennsylvania. Click on the image above for a closer look at the ring.

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Wearable Art

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Katie

Wearable art is the very definition of what we do at Katie Blauer. Through the process of individually designing and hand making every pair of shoes, we’re able use avant garde materials in a way that would never be able to be mass produced, and therefore consider each pair a unique work of wearable art. I love this concept and perk up when I see other artists creating pieces with a similar mentality.

Just last night, I caught the premiere episode of Mad Fashion on Bravo from my hotel room in Seattle, and had a good laugh relating to the premise of past Project Runway contestant Chris March’s new business venture. Each episode, the eccentric team at Chris March Designs sets out to create one-of-a-kind outfits for high-profile clientele looking to wow the room at their next big event. March’s aesthetic might be a bit flamboyant for some tastes, but his level of creativity is definitely one to admire and his work is also a perfect example of true wearable art.

I was pleasantly surprised by another sighting of wearable art recently while strolling the Burlington Mall, one of my old haunts outside Boston. In one of the halls a fashion exhibit comprised of many non-textile garments was on display, aptly titled Wearable Art and presented by my own alma mater, Mass Art. While I was unable to attend the corresponding fashion show, the Assistant Professor of Fashion Design explained on their website, “The students and I can’t wait to fit traffic cones, 3-D glasses, molded vinyl records and more on our special models. No one is expecting silk charmeuse or duchess satin – it’s all recycled, sustainable, eco-friendly wearable art!”

I was really impressed by the craftsmanship of the unique pieces I saw at that mall that day and so I snapped a few pics of my favorites – one of them being this chunky black overcoat intricately woven out of generic trash bags! Just a few days later I was admiring an Isabel Marant Spring 12 runway show post on fashiontoast and found a collection of garments with an almost identical texture. The timing of these events proves that the similarity is pure coincidence and I love how pairing the student work with the runway version gives even more validity to the ingenuity of wearable art.

Trash bag coat by Andrew Boit / Isabel Marant Spring 2012 Black Glossy Knit Sweater Dress

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Misc. Six

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Katie

As a part of relocating across the country, my entire shoemaking studio had to be packed, shipped, and put into storage until the new space is ready here on the east coast. I’m going stir crazy without all of my equipment …which might explain the recent increase in internet browsing (and shopping) I’ve been experiencing lately! While perusing my favorite sites over the last couple weeks, I’ve collected a few random images that have spoken to me …followed by my usual reply of, “Why didn’t I think of that!?” I thought I’d take a cue from my good friend, the Artful Aussie, who has a fun weekly blog post consisting of Ten Random Things …so here are a few of the latest images that have been cluttering my desktop.

#1. This eye catching image popped up on Design*Sponge, which directed me to the Brooklyn Bride blog. Their neon wedding tablescape, which might as well represent the polar opposite of the decor at my own wedding, blew me away. This color trend has been around for quite a few seasons now (and is still fun to wear), but it never dawned on me for use in a wedding. I especially love how the neon takes on a sophisticated twist when coupled with the simple white flowers. What fun it would be to design a pair of custom wedding shoes for a bride with a neon color scheme! #2. Another “Duh!” moment when I spotted these studded friendship bracelets on Bleach Black by a clever Etsy artist. They make me think of my years making bracelets at summer camp and how cool it would have been to have rocked a studded version back then! Need to make up for lost time…

#3. I’m constantly searching for anything and everything Matthew Williamson and felt quite lucky when I stumbled upon this familiar image in a recent Design*Sponge sneak peek. It quickly dawned on me that this poster was from the Matthew Williamson 10 year retrospective exhibit at the London Design Museum, which I actually went to back in 2007! Unfortunately, I failed to have the foresight back then to procure a poster for myself. #4. Speaking of the amazing Matthew Williamson, have a look at this fantastic piece from his latest ready to wear collection (via style.com), which just debuted at London’s Spring 2012 Fashion Week. In my mind, no one compares to the artistry of MW’s print design, and the weightless neon yellow paint dripping from a digitized fusion of flowers and cityscape on this dress is a perfect example of why I’m so enamored by his work.

#5. Another nod to the Bleach Black blog with this simple manicure treatment …which, again, I can’t believe I never thought of doing. With the fall season quickly approaching, this matte/shine update to the classic black nail will be a must to experiment with. #6. I’m sad to say that I never made it to the revered Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty show at the Met in New York last month. Nevertheless, my wonderful sister-in-law came through by surprising me with the exhibition book as a birthday present! This photo of the unique holographic cover (from Selectism) perfectly captures the mysterious avant-garde nature of McQueen. Inside the book, it is easy to get lost in the deep emotions he imbedded in every piece. A true artist.

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