Milan Fashion Week: Jimmy Choo SS12
For the first spring and summer collection of its relaunched men's footwear business, Jimmy Choo has added a dash of vibrant spring color and expanded its casual classifications, adding driving moccasins, sandals and even an uber-luxe skate-inspired slip-on.
The label's tasseled take on the driving moccasin -- most eye-catching in Yves Klein blue or yellow suede, switches out the traditional pebbled sole for a debossed crocodile-skin pattern and elongates the silhouette for a more elegant look.
The Choo boat shoe pairs a white sole with a denim-like canvas upper with mock crocodile trim, and the new range of strappy leather sandals has cuoio (natural leather) footbeds on top of rubber soles and kicks things up a notch with pewter-stud details.
Also new is the label's luxury version of the slip-on sneaker -- inspired by the venerable skate shoe, most memorable of which are a busy floral pattern and a Union Jack design (which also appears on a version of the formal slipper this season).
The Bond-inspired "porno paisley" velvet jacquard introduced last season is not only back again -- in new pink and turquoise colorways -- but the burlesque beauty hidden in that design expands her role, appearing on the pewter "penny" tucked into the brand's new penny-loafer silhouette. (At this rate, she's well on her way to becoming a high-end version of the "mud flap" girl.)
When I saw the debut fall and winter 2011 collection in Milan last season -- the one that hits stores in July -- the retail distribution hadn't been determined, but I'm told it includes Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.
Most styles will retail from $597 to $795, with the skate shoe and the driving moccasins coming in slightly lower, at $495, and some higher -- like the blue crocodile formal slippers, which will cost a cool $18,000.
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-- Adam Tschorn, reporting from Milan
Photos: Jimmy Choo's first spring and summer collection expands into sandals, driving moccasins and skate-inspired slip-ons. Credit: Adam Tschorn / Los Angeles Times
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