One of the lovely things about being a blogger is all the opportunities and invitations we receive to have sneaky peeks at the next season’s collections before everyone else. It’s great being in the loop and it means I can shop frugally all year, already knowing what will work with the coming season’s trends. I love to share this information with you so that you can do the same and get the most out of your wardrobe throughout the year. Sometimes I just can’t make it to the press event myself but thankfully I have a lovely group of writers who are happy to be posted off to whatever launch event is coming up and report back so that we can all be ahead of the fashion game. Today my womenswear fashion designer friend Kat Lacey has shared her experiences of the Clarks Autumn/Winter 2014 preview event and has analysed the footwear trends that we can all look forward to next season. Here is her report:
On Wednesday evening last week, I was lucky enough to attend the Clarks AW14 Collection preview on behalf of Cassiefairy.com. Having worn Clarks shoes since I was a tot, I was excited to attend. Although I am still wearing my AW13 boots thanks to the Great British weather, it was exciting to see what trends and fashions Clarks have to offer once the Summer has been and gone.
Clarks, which began business nearly 200 years ago, is a truly British brand. This was reflected in the different stories the footwear and bags was displayed in; each an area or famous street name in London. Here is a story which if I remember correctly was named Pimlico:
Clarks Autumn/Winter 14 womenswear collection – photos by Claire Lacey Photography
Brogues – You could really imagine the heeled brogue styles working perfectly for a city girl, with many heels being block heels. Clarks have a wide offering of brogue styles for AW14, combining classic flat shapes with different textures, (leather, patent leather, boucle fabric) and are updated with buckle trims. The black leather shoe is probably my favorite from the whole collection. I love the double buckle and subtle toe cap detail! I can imagine them going perfectly with a classic A-line skirt or a pair of skinny jeans for a great day to evening look. At £79.99, they may be a bit pricey, but the fact they are leather and the good quality that Clarks are known for, you know they will last for many years to come so are a great investment.
Pretty eveningwear – images by Claire Lacey
Eveningwear - Prominent AW14 colours were Oxblood red (as brogue above) and Midnight blue, which was actually more of a deep green color. The re-occurring theme across the whole collection was mixing different textures including materials and trims. The eveningwear collection above mixed suede or glitter with textured or smooth stones. The rounded pointed toe ensured that winter party shoes looked glamorous in both heels and flats and ankle straps lent a ballet-esque look to the range.
Autumn/Winter boots range photographed by CJ Lacey Photography
Boots - There were three great biker boots on offer, with heavy silver trims and thick tread on the soles adding to the styling of the boots. My favorite biker was the double buckled biker boot with cut out detail. The Chelsea boot looks as though it is here to stay for next Autumn Winter, with Clarks offering a good quality entry price Chelsea boot at £54.99.The wedge boots also followed the mixed texture trend with suede and pony skin plus a patent leather strap.
Orla Kiely collection photographed by Claire Lacey
Pattern – Their AW14 offering of Orla Kiely footwear was also on display. This is the second season that Clarks have collaborated with the print designer, offering spot detail mary-jane court shoes, large button detail slip-ons and Chelsea boots which follow Clarks re-occurring theme of mixing materials of different textures. These boots mix leather and patent leather and the images shows that all shoes in the Orla Kiely collection have her trade mark pattern on the soles which is a nice touch.
Although I focused mainly on the Women’s collection, Clarks have a wide offering for Men, Children and Babies in AW14. There were a few dessert boots for men which were 1st debuted by Clarks in 1950. Clarks had a few lovely soft shoes for babies, made with the softest leather and back Velcro fastening for ease of wear. A lot of their “My 1st Shoes” where similar to the offering for young girls and boys which I think is a great idea for those with brothers and sisters who are older or younger. The most interesting think I found out from the children’s collection was that flash shoes have really become high-tech since I wore them many years ago. The shoes have a small USB stick inside them which can be re-charged when ever the flash runs out of power. Amazing!
Photos of little shoes by family photographer Claire Lacey – CJLacey.co.uk
Thanks again Cassie for letting me attend the event. I have until June when the collection launches to decide between the buckled patent brogues and double buckled biker boot with cut-out detail. Decisions, decisions…….
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Categories: Tuesday Shoesday | Tags: a/w14, autumn/winter 2014, boots, brogues, Clarks, fashion, kat lacey, Orla Kiely, review, Shoes, Tuesday Shoesday | Permalink.
Author: Cassie Fairy
Cassiefairy blogs about everything she does & anything that inspires her; popular culture, film, art, fashion, recipes, craft and design.
