Fashion over practicality

When I met up with a friend last year and told her my intentions of setting up my own shoe label featuring my designs, my friend said one thing that stuck in my mind till today. She just said "Don't make it too fashionable".

Because fashion fades. Anything that is too fashionable will live for that moment and will not be coveted after that moment is over. Remember gladiator shoes, anyone? They were such a rage 3-4 years ago and now it's quite impossible to find a typical, first generation gladiator sandal. What is left are softer versions, more romantic watered down ones as we move out of that trend.

It has always been a struggle sometimes as when I design, I want to make it as creative as possible to stand out (esp when you come from a non fashionable country such as Malaysia, no one thinks highly of your design skills) but yet practical enough for it to be bought. In a sea of fierce competition, one needs to be able to design something that would make editors sit up, stylists seek you out and customers banging at your door. Isn't that every designer's dream? However, make it too eclectic and you risk having an art piece that no one buys. What I noticed with my first capsule is that people like seriously simple designs.

I guess my stack of outlandish drawings will remain as drawings for now.

So when I chance upon Gasoline Glamour, i was so blown away! This goes against "don't make it too fashionable, no one would buy" - the list of neverending stockists is enough to tell you that it is perhaps doing well? Who buys shoes like this on a daily basis? Celebs? Celebs don't buy shoes, they get shoes for free. So who buys? Regular women? Someone has to be buying them, if not why would there be so many stockists? It boggles my mind.
These shoes are crazy cool, almost like weapons I must say. It goes against every sinew of practicality but strangely, it makes me wanna buy one! It's so fierce that it makes Ruthie Davis, Alexander McQueen and United Nude shoes look like little simpering puppies. Not for the faint hearted but I must say, who ever the designer is, you go girl!! Prices are not shown on the website, you have to contact the designer (I presume that Shannon is the designer) and she will let you know the price. Gulps - don't expect it to be affordable for the amount of work that goes into each pair.
8 inches worth of WOW.