I am and we all are familiar with Brooklyn based Designer, Samantha Pleet for her mystical, beautifully constructed clothing. For her last Autumn Winter 2012 collection she paired her clothing with shoes designed by her, as part of a collaboration with the shoe company Wolverine. Wolverine is a company that produces hard wearing boots for the hard working men who builds infrastructure such as railway lines and roads, in America. The concept caught my heart for stories and adventure, because each boot is designed in honour of an independent female explorer or adventurer. Someone tall tales were told about, and some changed the course of history. I recently assisted a friend of mine, buy a similar style boot and am shopping around for my own. A man styled, lace-up, period boot and I have fallen in lust.
The Earhart Boot, named after the american air explorer, style icon, pioneer and author, Amelia Earhart. It looks like a riding boot, is apparently more comfortable and for me embodies the idea of travel clothes. I love the polished look and two tone colour mix and the lace-up detail at the top. I wonder what Amelia would think of Boeing passenger airplanes and Pteromerhanophobia...
My favourite, the Blixen Boot, named for the 1920's Danish explorer, author and hunter, Karen Blixen. I enjoy contrasts so this boot would only be worn with a pale coloured, delicate looking, lacey or chiffon dress. Left, it is worn with A/W 2012, 'the captive dress' by Samantha Pleet. If you do not know, the book and movie, Out of Africa were inspired by her life. She left her own country to establish a coffee plantation in 'savage' Africa. I wonder what she would think of instant coffee and Kenya today...
Above paired with 'the banner cloak,' A/W 2012, SP collection; the Bonny Boot, is the most conservative representatively for me. But maybe the intention was to keep to a simple design that would best communicate the need for quick escapes that the namesake for this boot must have staged on many an occasion. The daughter of a successful merchant, the beautiful, red-haired, female pirate and treasure hunter, that this boot is styled after is Anne Bonny. She was one of the most notorious female pirates in 18th century caribbean waters. She married a pirate! A pirate, what would possess a genteel lady of the 1700's to marry a pirate? Their romance must have been something spectacular. Ai, indeed!
Finally another favourite the Nesbit Kiltie Boot and Oxford is named after the bohemian Evelyn Nesbit who today would be a modern woman, who is not confined to any place. Above left the Oxford is worn with 'the Landmark Dress', from Samantha Pleets' A/W 2012 collection. Evelyn came from humble beginnings and as a chorus girl, an actress and model, she is known as the original Gibson girl. What or who is a Gibson Girl? Ask Charles Dana Gibson. If he tells who who she was, then continue on and ask Leonardo da Vinci, who the girl in the Mona Lisa portrait is....I would rather not know.
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| Earhart Boot |
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| Blixen Boot |
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| Bonny Boot |
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| Nesbit Kiltie Riding Boot |
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| Nesbit Oxford |
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