In February, I visited Linea Pelle, Italy’s most important fair for leather, heels, and accessories for shoes. Of course, the main goal is to find the most beautiful and sustainable materials, scout for the emerging colours.
Heels
We speak about heels quite frequently.
Did you know that one last can typically be combined with only one or two heel heights or types?
Did you also know that each size needs an extra heel? They look the same but the sizing is different. You’ll even find heels which are different for the left and the right shoe.
Heels can be made by 3d print, they can be carved out of a block of plexiglass, made with layers of leather and/or metal or simply poured which requires a mould.
Some heels are designed to be used as they are, while others are made to be wrapped in leather and fabric.
Whatever we choose we make sure it is the best heel for the respective shoe and it is of finest quality.
Accessories
The possibilities for accessories are endless. Many of them are really great.
AS MUCH AS YOUR SHOE MAKES OR BREAKS YOUR OUTFIT,
Stilettissimo
THE ACCESSORY MAKES OR BREAKS THE SHOE.
You can buy cheap accessories and buckles and they look fine. However, you might encounter at least two issues:
- The quality might not be what you expected
- The same accessory is no longer available if you order the shoe some months later, which is the typical scenario as we plan one year ahead
Good accessories cost a penny but a penny well spent.
Trends 2024
Trends are by no means commands. Some trends become evergreens, some last one season and others never really get out to the world. Moreover, absolute trends which literally dictate fashion, are a thing from the past.
This means that following a trend as a brand is also taking a risk. Do the customers really like it? Did we as brand choose the right thing?
Metallic finishes
However, while metallic leathers seemed to have disappeared a year ago, they are now on everybody’s mind. Not a single tannery that would miss out on new metallic finishes in a variety of colours.
Besides the classics like white, beige and black you see pink, fuchsia and a fresh shade of green which we particularly like. As for the neon which was so hot a year ago, it has disappeared, from all we see.
Stay Tuned.
