My article about Manolo’s fabulous collaborations is up on JC. Check it out:

“Manolo Blahnik is walking the edge for autumn/winter ‘08-’09. While he has collaborated with designers from Ossie Clark to Perry Ellis and Cerruti in the past, this year he walks the line with Thakoon, Christopher Kane, Rag & Bone and Alexander Wang.

As a design innovator who never alienates his core luxury consumer, Blahnik’s collaborations reveal fresh looks. The master cobbler’s well-honed shoe knowledge is revitalized by each wave of fresh inspiration, resulting in innovative lasts and details: for Alexander Wang he uncovers hard edges with a peep toe and gladiator ankle cage; the Satine for Christopher Kane reveals rich, deep hues in a luxe satin; and, for Thakoon, he emphasizes femininity through scalloped details on a black-and-white palette.

Step lively, now.”

As Michael Patrick King said when I sat down to interview him and the girls a few weeks back, “Carrie’s Manolos are an emotional window — they represent to her, the BEST, and they open a window into her soul.” How right you are MPK! In the movie, her Manolos play a MAJOR role and a MAJOR emotional window is opened. I won’t spoil it for you, but suffice to say you will be pleased with the power of the shoe when you see the movie Friday.

Listen to what MPK had to say about the mystical goddesses of Sex & the City.

From the Daily News today:

“A blue pair of Manolo Blahniks have towering role in ‘Sex’
BY MEGHAN CLEARY
Thursday, May 29th 2008

These blue satin Manolo Blahniks are involved in a glass-slipper style plot twist in the film.
Meet the fifth star of “Sex and the City”: she’s tall, bright and blingy. We’re talking about a pair of sky-high blue Manolos that play a ‘big’ role in the new movie, in theaters tomorrow. While Carrie Bradshaw wears everything on her dainty feet from Dior to Proenza Schouler, a pair of satin blue Manolos with a massive silver buckle are the star. The shoes, custom-made by Blahnik for the film, are involved in a glass-slipper style plot twist in the film.
“I love what Manolo made for the movie,” Parker tells In Style. “It’s a beautiful shoe.”
And it can be yours for a paltry $885 on June 9, when an exact replica will be available at Manolo Blahnik’s New York store . This may be the first heel Manolo designed expressly for Carrie and her fan club, but it’s not the first time a shoe has stolen the spotlight in the series. In fact, a pair of strappy, feathered Jimmy Choos that Carrie loses on a ferry in season three were such a hit with viewers, they’re being reintroduced by the brand. For those who can’t get enough SATC shoe nostalgia, consider these highlights in Carrie’s heel history:
THE HAPPY HOOKER
Carrie is at Manolo buying a pair of shoes when her credit card gets rejected. Surprisingly, her friend has just breezed into the store from an extended European vacation, and insists on picking up the tab. Fast-forward a few nights later when Carrie is out wearing the new shoes with her friend and all her Euro-boyfriends. Carrie goes home with one of them, and he tries to leave her money in the morning. Turns out her friend isn’t independently wealthy - she’s a high-class hooker. And Carrie’s Manolos are more of job incentive than gift.
THE CASE OF THE WILTED FEATHER
As Carrie sails through the park with Big in a brand-new pair of hot pink feathered Christian Louboutins, she gets a call from Miranda - she’s in labor. Carrie rushes to the hospital, only to have Miranda’s water break all over her shoes.

THE WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A . . .

On a shopping trip, Carrie stops for a moment to ponder all of her shoe purchases over the years. After a mental audit, it dawns on her. If she had saved all that money instead of spending it on shoes, she would own her apartment. She is literally the woman who lives in her shoe.
DISCORD IN THE HOME, DISCORD IN THE CLOSET
During a terrible fight with Aidan, Carrie comes in to find Aidan’s trusty dog pal, Petey, has gnawed her Manolos - she goes ballistic. This time, the shoes are a talisman to the demise of their romance.

WORK IT GIRL

Selected to walk the Fashion Week runway at Bryant Park Tents, Carrie spies a pair of towering stilettos backstage and tells the stylist, “Put me in the big-girl shoes” with an air of stiletto-wearing confidence. Out on the runway, looking gorgeous and chic, Carrie makes a misstep in her huge shoes and wipes out. But she manages to rise from the catwalk and stroll to triumphant applause.”

Part deux of my Bridal Shoes series, I want to talk to you brides to be about comfort on your big day. Please do Miss Meghan, and yourself, a giant favor and actually WEAR your bridal shoes around your house or apartment for a few days in a row before your wedding day.

Do not slip them on your feet for the first time the morning of your wedding – this is a recipe for dis-aster. And no one likes disaster on the day of wedding-ness. No one.

So once you’ve decided what shoes to wear, pick three days in a week where you will be at home doing some otherwise mundane task – vacuuming, reorganizing your closet, or kvetching at your fiancé, and don your wedding shoes. Not only will you put a little bounce in your step as you buzz around the house, and no doubt will also send you into a bridal reverie, you will simultaneously identify potential trouble spots, and break them in.

Comfort Tip 1
If you are wearing leather shoes, all leather, spritz your shoes down with a mist of water to get them a little damp before you put them on. Wear them until they are dry. This will activate leather’s natural organic give and let them form to your foot.

Comfort Tip 2
Tailor your shoes just like a suit. Identify any area that is the slightest bit painful or gives a rub – this will be a major source of pain after 6 hours of getting married, dining, dancing. So let’s prevent the pain shall we? For an area inside the shoes where it rubs, take a bit of Dr. Scholls For Her (DSFH) moleskein foam and stick it to the inside of the shoe. This will head off any potential blistering. You can use moleskin for back of the heel try and for the entire length of the shoe use DSFH open toe insoles—they have a soft velvety side and a massaging gel – you can use in them in other shoes and they will not ruin the insides of your special wedding shoes either like other insoles.

Comfort Tip 3
If you are wearing ballet flats – please put an insole in – I know it seems like they should be totally comfortable but do not succumb to the ballet flat myth. Instead pop in a DSFH 16-hour insole. These are lavender and fabric and very cushy. (All are available at your local drugstore)

So in answer to Ester’s question, yes you can be comfortable in your wedding shoes. Just take a little time for some preventative measures and I will see you on the dance floor whirling about with a smile on your face, as a bride should be!

Dear readers,

I have been getting an increasing amount of inquiries about shoes for the big day — about color, heel height, comfort, you name it. So many questions I am going to make a little Ask Miss Meghan BRIDAL SERIES to answer you all.

Hannah wrote in this week:

“I bought a non-traditional but very pretty dress in ‘celestial yellow.’ I am shopping for some mid-length heels but I am not sure — should my shoes match my dress? I will definitely need to get them dyed and I am not sure if I will be able to find the exact match. Is it okay to wear something neutral like a beige or black, or would it be best to try to match the dress? Also, it is an evening wedding if that matters in the shoe selection process.”

First, let’s debunk some common myths:

NO – your shoes do not have to match your dress
NO – you do not have to wear white, satin shoes
NO – you do not have to wear heels
NO – you do not have to be in pain on your wedding day

Ok good. Now I am really going to turn your idea of what a bridal shoe should be on it’s head. Instead of thinking about colors and heel heights– think about what mood you want to be in for your wedding day. Elegant? Funky? Casual? Retro? Go with shoes that have something extra for your big day — an extra layer of elegance, a beautiful bauble or two, or a really fun COLOR.

Hannah has a celestial yellow dress, which sounds gorgeous. I personally love the idea of a color other than white for a wedding dress.

What about a gorgeous metallic? a beauitful nude-gold or a sparkling silver are both good options here. An elegant, strappy sandal platinum Stiletto from 9West,
, gorgeously simple completely flat sandals from Giuseppe, or a peep-toe mid-heel?

Or try something totally revolutionary and wear the “something blue” on your feet electric blue flats?

IF, after you checked all these out, and think maybe you should just do a dyeable to be safe, the only dyeables worth dye-ing are Ninas. They have a myriad of styles ranging from traditional to more hipster and they do not look like the cheesy dyeables of yore. Try these, the Electra.

Two and a half-inch heels which is a very manageable heel height for most women, and a very classic D’orsay style. The dyeable shoe store people will help you with dyeing as well and they ship anywhere in the world, and stock a huge variety of sizes and widths.

Let me know what you think, and look for some more bridal shoe advice next week when I talk about strategies for comfort on the big day.

xo

Miss Meghan

*Online shoe shopping tip: if you are not sure of your size, order two pairs and try on at home, most shoe shopping sites have free shipping on returns so you can simply return the ones that don’t fit.