Do you love shoes? Do you love buying shoes? You know that great feeling in your stomach after you've bought the perfect pair? Well, these guys must get it all the time because they can actually make their ideas come to life. I could not be more thrilled to learn that the media (granted it is a trade magazine) is covering real fashion designers just starting out. No offense Rachel Bilson, but these 22-year-olds actually went to fashion school. And good for you Nine West - giving recent grads a chance to make it big - quick.
Footwear News and Nine West, in association with New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, have created a contest called FN Shoe Star to find the next great shoe designer. It puts seven promising designers up against one another in six challenges testing their ability to think outside the box and create innovative designs. One will be eliminated after each round in Project Runway style. After 6 competitions one lucky youngin will be named the 2008 Shoe Star. The winner will gain a coveted spot on the Nine West design team to work on the spring '09 footwear, handbags, and accessories collections – sweet!
You can keep up with the competition online or in print with FN or on Ninewest.com. I'm enjoying seeing the guest judges - check out Giuseppe Zanotti, Stuart Weitzman, Mark Badgley and James Mischka, and famed Sex and the City stylist Patricia Field.
Here is a sneak peek of a few of their designs. Would you wear them? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
And click here for a peek at Nine West's recent collections.
Want all the info on this season's hot shoe trends? Check out our latest Guide to Spring Shoes.
More Like This:
The Proposal's chic, structured wardrobe
Combat relentless summer hair frizz
The September Issue: icy stares, chic accessories
