Spring Preview: Structural Integrity

The Mella by Calvin Klein (left in black) has arrived (online soon). The python patterned leather and short wedge heel are lively and fun, as is the silver insole, but what really motivated us was the sharp, structured cutouts on the wide T-strap and ankle.

This structured revelation of the foot feels very sharp and new, yet also a touch retro as if the ghost of Bauhaus has risen from the grave and came out sporting these kittens. We love the math of this shoe: the deliberateness of it is sexy and bespeaks a wearer who knows how to put together a look.

But Mella isn't the only shoe taking a turn for the Euclidian. In fact, it seems to be quite a trend. And no one, as usual, is internalizing and reinterpreting a trend like one of our favorite designers, Pour La Victoire.

We are OBSESSED with the Bianca by Pour La Victoire. This 4-1/2" pump with platform is going to be huge. It is in our spring deliveries and we've put a rush on it because we want it here NOW and FAST.

The geometry wows us. The shootie upper, punched with asymmetrical shapes, feels decidedly structural and architectural. It reminded us of Prada's flagship store in Tokyo or Rem Koolhaas's library in Seattle. And especially of the windows in Le Corbusier's Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut Ronchamp. And, like those windows, Bianca stragetically reveals your foot while the acid green leaher insole adds luminescence and glow.

We love this trend because it feels so deliberate and purposeful. Just by sporting this look, you instantly add relevence to your look; it dresses up your outfit. We think you can draw a straight line right through these shoes to a hot, current look that's a change-up from fall's covered up tall boots and shooties.