Shout out to the guys at UES (Upper Echelon Shoes)
by JULIA
So my assistant, Claudia Davila styled a photo shoot for American Idol Season 1 top contestant Christina Christian (who happens to be a client of mine) while I was away at WSA. I just saw the photos from the shoot yesterday and of course immediately noticed the shoes! When I told Claudia I met the designers for UES and had featured them on this site, she shrieked with excitement. Turns out, she had styled the outfit aroun…
5 great things about Shoebizness!
by JULIA
1. Real people, real perspective, real stories 2. YOU can contribute anything anytime. As long as it’s funny, positive, cool, whatever we will put it up!! We want your story!! 3. It’s going to get better and better! I am a believer in building a solid foundation and growing from there. Hopefully you are enjoying the people and companies we are highlighting so far, but please keep coming back as we add more…
Industry-Watch out for this brand!!
by JULIA
Nana Sananikone may be one of the most creative people I have met in a while! Her brand Industry decided to launch footwear a couple of years ago and is already making great strides. Not many designers are able to make the transition from clothing to footwear quite as easily as Nana has. In fact, Industry has already won multiple awards for creativity, design and as a company for their charitable efforts. Ally and I met…
…And the Ballots Are In!
by JULIA
Following up on my predictions for the hottest footwear trends @ WSA – here are the actual top recurring trends seen during the show. What are your thoughts? 1. Athletic-Fashion: Along the lines of my “Tech-Mesh” prediction, we saw an abundance of fashion-forward athletic footwear. However, much of the footwear had a retro feel vs. new-wave design. UES (please see prior article!) did a fan…
Press Release by Kids in Distressed Situations
by JULIA
Press Release from K.I.D.S. following Magic - Thought it would be useful information for all. Analyst Predicts Retail Sales Will Decline Up to 6% in 2009, Identifies Key Factors to Influence Retailing at K.I.D.S. Industry Seminar Las Vegas, February 18, 2009 – The unexpected rebound in U.S. retail sales in January will not continue according to Piper Jaffray Companies analyst Jeffrey Klinefelter, who tol…
Footwear Professionals Network Discussion….
by JULIA
I found this discussion on my LinkedIn group “footwear professionals network/shoebizness.com” (if you haven’t joined yet, you should…2500 members!) and I thought it would be useful to at least a couple of you. Great advice!! Question: Robin Moss-Founder, Chief Creative Officer at FC I’m new to the shoe business and need tips on how to prepare for a meeting with a client (retail bu…
If you see this guy…
by JULIA
Give him your resume and be really nice to him! Trust me on this.
K.I.D.S. and MAGIC
by JULIA
I was so happy to see the support for Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) at the Magic Show! Shoebizness.com and Pearl and Company will be partnering with K.I.D.S. in the upcoming year in many ways to encourage product donation by companies in the footwear industry. Now, more than ever, people need our support! If you are a retailer or a wholesaler and are not sure what to do with your leftover inventory, PLEASE l…
Cool Booths
by JULIA
We definitely didn’t see the massive booths as from years past at any of the shows this year. The common theme as anyone would expect was to cut back and scale down. However, we still saw interesting, creative and very cool booths. I thought I would mention a few. Of course, in typical Ed Hardy style, their booth was over the top with more shoes stuck to the outside of the structure than were on display on the inside.…
5 statements from Sheena at Matisse
by JULIA
Ally and I met Sheena in the lunch line our first day at WSA as a result of a shared love for a skirt… It seems the lunch line is where you meet some the coolest people! Sheena is responsible for Public Relations and Marketing for Matisse, and Coconuts by Matisse, based out of El Segundo, Ca. Sheena has a great sense of humor and down to earth view of the industry, which I really appreciate. We just can’t take ourselv…
Talking Green with Terrasoles
by JULIA
All of their shoes are also machine washable and have a long life span. Their store displays are made of recycled materials and they do not use boxes to house the shoes, so they are able to save space and materials in this way as well. I was attracted to their booth because of the minimalistic, welcoming design made from recycled cardboard and natural wood. It’s great to see a brand going to such great lengths to encoura…
Buzz Around the Show
by JULIA
So I was really wondering what the overall energy of WSA was going to be considering all the news and happenings in today’s shoe world. Well, I have to say that I am happy to report that I’m pleasantly surprised. Across the board it seems as though people have come to accept that that things are different now and will continue to change in the coming years. Overall we heard from a lot of people who were embracin…
Charity from San Francisco
by JULIA
We met Charity on Friday and enjoyed speaking with her. Charity is the Public Relations manager for Rocket Dog Brands based out of San Francisco, CA. I wanted to give Charity a little mention because her excitement and great attitude really stood out. If I was a buyer I would be much more inclined to buy from a company with representation such as Charity! :)
London Calling
by JULIA
We <3 London! Did anyone else stumble upon the ridiculously cute and sassy line Shellys London? We absolutely loved the whimsical design, intricate embellishments and of course the booth! Once step inside and you felt transported into a girly closet. Not to mention their two fabulous reps – Jenny and Sarah – who were incredibly passionate about the brand. This was their first show in the US and t…
What I’m Loving Right Now
by JULIA
Did anyone happen to visit UES (Upper Echelon Shoes) at Titan Industries? If so, you probably witnessed some of the freshest athletic-fashion footwear on the market today.
