Who is Opening Ceremony and why are their shoes so interesting? I searched and googled my heart out but could only find places to buy them or people professing their love for the shoes. I needed history, where so they come from, what is the inspiration behind these cut out shoes?
Opening Ceremony has been likened to a “high-fashion version of a cultural-exchange program” by the New York Times, thanks to its fashion savvy owners Carol Lim and Humberto Leon. I definitely agree.
  Never mind why I had to know these things. I like to think I perceive fashion from an intellectuals’ point of view. Hey! I am allowed to think what I will.

Humberto Leon (a former visual director for Burberry) and Carol Lim (an ex-investment banker), best friends and business partners both 32, unveiled Opening Ceremony in September of 2002. Their concept: the Olympics. No, not cheesy promotional merch, but an actual retail version of the Olympics - a yearly contest between 15 U.S. designers and 15 designers from another nation that builds to a close with Olympic - style anticipation. “We were interested in the idea of countries, and how can we really focus on countries,” Mr. Leon said.

FOR MEN

OPENING CEREMONY - Available at eluxury.com

(courtesy: theage.com.au)

A PHOTOGRAPH of a nude Carla Bruni, the former model now married to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has been sold to a Chinese collector for $US91,000 ($A97,712) — more than 20 times its predicted price. (Paris, Britney,Lindsey are you listening? Your pictures will never be worth that much.)

Miss Bruni may be France’s new darling, but if price is any indication, she has some way to go to eclipse 1960s beauty Brigitte Bardot.
A photo of the French screen siren sold at the same auction for $181,000.

Gisele Bundchen’s and Kate Moss’ picture also sold at the same auction. Christie’s was also quick to point out that the now-infamous photo is by no means the only shot depicting a naked supermodel that will soon belong to the highest bidder – however, neither Moss nor Bundchen are currently married to a head of state.

Here’s what I dont get, As much as I am a fan of Ms. Bruni, arent’ there millions of these pictures around?  We’re bewildered at the price tag ourselves because, well, wasn’t everyone so in love with Bruni last week because of her clothes? Also, models regularly appear topless in fashion magazines, especially in European issues, so model boobs — even if they are Carla’s — these days are just kind of “meh.”

The gelatin silver print, taken by photographer Michel Comte in 1993, depicts a young Bruni in a standing pose, apparently in reference to the paintings of French neo-impressionist artist Georges Seurat.

The Bruni-Sarkozy photo was hotly contested by bidders over the phone, via the internet and in Christie’s auction hall.

Swiss photographer Comte said he had thousands more nude photos of Bruni from the 10 years they worked together, including some much more explicit, but he told Swiss media last month that he would never sell them. (AFP)

This is a two part post.

 Mai Lamore’s rose shoes estimated to cost $27,000+

• First, I did not know there were actually a pair of shoes worth $16,000 but I  am open to learning. (New York Magazine)

Bear Stearns collapsed and Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernake finally uttered the R-word (that’s “recession”), but so what! Lots o’ deep pockets gathered at the Hermès store on Wall Street to celebrate the launch of the limited-edition car designed by Bugatti and Hermès. Since shoes are the new black and the new black is très expensive, how much is too much to spend on them? “I think $20,000 is definitely too much. You can quote me on that. Absolutely way too much. That’s absurd. You’re paying $20,000 for a pair of shoes, that’s insane. You should get your head checked. Anything under is fine,” he said. So $8G is okay? “$12,000, $16,000. Yeah. Anything over twenty, that’s absurd.

•  Two, would you wear these shoes? Wouldn’t you be scared that the light bulb would crack? Chanel Lightbulb shoes, priced at a mere 1200 Euros.

For the rest of us regular folk, check out shoes at www.shoppinghaze.com