HEAVEN HAS HEELS
THE WARRIOR ISSUE
ISSUE 12 may 2014
HEAVENHASHE HEAVEN 20142013 HEAVENHAS HASHEELS HEELSmay holiday
EELS.com
CONTENTS STYLE Whether you’re a lover or a fighter, these accessories-with-attitude, will have you ready to win any style war.
WARRIOR Let your look do the talking with the best of these warrior-inspired trends. BATTLE ADVICE What’s the best advice your mother ever gave you? We ask some of our favorite designers to share their words of wisdom from the original battle commander—our Mom.
INSPIRED DESIGN Stylish, powerful and on the cutting edge, we find out what drives emerging footwear designer Enikö Tóth-Kern.
HEAVENLY HEELS Following in her family’s footsteps, designer Havva Mustafa shares her love and passion for the world of heavenly heels.
HYPNOTIZINGLY TIMELESS
When it comes to jewelry that packs a punch, Parisian designer, Jaklin Leib of JaxJewelry, knows how to deliver.
WELL HEELED HOT SEAT We put author and Auntie advocate Melanie Notkin in this month’s Well Heeled Hot Seat.
SHOP Sit back, relax and let your fingers do the walking in these heavenly heels.
HEAVEN HAS HEELS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Angela Gilltrap CREATIVE DIRECTOR Amanda Smythe PHOTO DIRECTOR James Collins COPY EDITOR Sarah Wilkes STYLE EDITOR Nigel Isaiah WEB DESIGNER Kris Black CONTRIBUTORS Christine Calde, Stephen Ciuccoli, Nicoletta Conteduca, Jukka ,Maurizio Fantini, David Krovblit, Manicomix, Christopher Mooyer, Caroline Pandeli, Nicole Ross, Marie-Eve Tremblay
Heaven Has Heels magazine is published by Lot 17 Media, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. 212 378 6711. The entire contents of Heaven Has Heels are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Heaven Has Heels accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and/or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. Heaven Has Heels reserves the right to edit, rewrite, refuse or reuse material, is not responsible for errors or omissions and may feature same on HeavenHasHeels.com, as well as other mediums for any and all purposes.
ON THE COVER� Photographer: MAURIZIO FANTINI Stylist: MANICOMIZ Makeup: NICOLETTA CONTEDUCA Model: JESSICA SAMEA
GET YOUR ISSUE OF HEAVEN HAS HEELS. SUBSCRIBE NOW AT HEAVENHASHEELS.COM HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
RUNWAY collect RUNWAY collect
MADRID AW2014
relive the runway...
EDITOR’S NOTE Photo: Stephen Ciuccoli
I
t’s not easy to live a life in heels. We’ve all hobbled home after a torturous night in ill fitting shoes and suffered in silence in the name of style. However, there is something empowering about putting on a pair. It literally elevates you, transforming your stance and often, your attitude along with it. In this, our Warrior Issue, we examine the role a simple accessory can play in our lives—from eye-catching statement jewelry to weapon-like heels. We pay homage to some of the powerful women who empower us everyday with their simple yet inspiring advice and take a closer look at what drives innovative designers from around the world. We hope you find it as inspiring as we have. Until next time, may your heels be as high as your standards,
Angela Gilltrap
Editor-In-Chief
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
TEX SAVERIO
Take No Prisoners PAMELA LOVE Dagger Rosary necklace. Available at Shopbop.com Westwood Warrior VIVIENNE WESTWOOD Knuckle Duster ring. Available at Shopbop.com
style
WARRIOR
On Guard KNIGHT$ OF NEW YORK Elizabeth Sword earrings. Available at Shopbop.com
March On CASADEI Barbarella heel. Available at Casadei.com
Battle Ready ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Metallic skull box clutch. Available at Couture.Zappos.com HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
Battle Mantra EFVA ATTLING Take No Shit large pendant. Available at EfvaAttling.com
Ring It In WENDY BRANDES Turquoise and ruby skull ring. Available at WendyBrandes.com
style
FIGHTER
Buckle Up GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI Black buckle booties. Available at Couture.Zappos.com
Slice ‘n Style PEDRO GARCIA Candela heels. Available at Shopbop.com
MAYA
Urban Camouflage SERGIO ROSSI Patchwork Bootie. Available at Couture.Zappos.com
WARRIOR
Whether you see yourself as a lover or a fighter, these statement pieces are sure to bring out the warrior in you. Face life’s battles in style this season. — NIGEL ISAIAH
THE ARCHER Kantniss Everdeen’s bow and arrow may be her weapon of choice in the Hunger Games, but this season, it’s archeryinspired jewelry that’s winning the style war. Be the hero you were born to be with this right-on-target fashion trend. INDIA HICKS Diamond bow and arrow pendant, IndiaHicks.com
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
THE GLADIATOR There comes a time when we must all free the gladiator within. Skip being well heeled and go into combat the well armored way, strapped and laced into a pair of gladiator sandals. ANCIENT GREEK SANDALS Ancient Greek Sandals x Marios Schwab, High Gladiator sandals, Ancient-Greek-Sandals. com
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
THE VIKING Isn’t it time you unleashed your inner Viking? Forget axes and shields, this season it’s about classic reinterpretations of the ancient art of jewelry making. EFVA ATTLING Viking cuff, EfvaAttling.com
THE ASSASSIN Dressed in all black and ready to attack, the chicest and stealthiest warriors of them all is the assassin. Move undetected with purpose—and in style—in a sleek pair of assassin-inspired booties. LORIBLU Patent Leather Peep Toe Booties, Loriblu. com
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO A cult classic, the book (and film) has inspired everything from clothing to footwear. Let your inner dragon soar. SAFA SAHIN, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, SafaSahin.Tumblr.com
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
MONTSE BASSONS
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
battle
STATIONS
THE BEST ADVICE FROM the original battle commander—our moms Holding down the fort, rallying the troops, storming the battle field... As we get set to celebrate Mother’s Day this month, we pay homage to the true battle commanders of our world, our Moms. Here, some of our favorite designers share their Mom’s most precious words of wisdom.
what’s the gre atest piece of advice your mom has giveN you? SHARE IT WITH U S ON TWITTER @HHHE ELs #MOMLOVE
TANIA SPINELLI TANIASPINELLI.COM “My mother taught me many valuable life lessons but the most important is to be proud of who I am and to always believe in myself. She taught me to lead by example, to show who I am through my actions and regardless of the challenges I will face throughout my life, to always be true to myself and the person I have always wanted to be.”
KENNETH NING KENNETHNING.COM “I call my mom everyday to share both the highs and lows of my day and when work gets overwhelming and there is too much on my plate, she always tells me: We will cross that bridge when we get to it.”
JENNIFER KATE JENNIFERKATE.NET.AU “Always be genuine. You never know what battles people are fighting and there is no need to over complicate life with pretense.”
CHENG-HUAI CHUANG CHENGHUAICHUANG.COM “You may not get what you want even when you have done your best, but you will never get what you want if you never try your best.”
NIRCO CASTILLO NIRCOCASTILLO.COM “To always remain honest and loyal to your loved ones and yourself.”
MELISSA TROVATO NIGHTWALKER.CO “The early bird catches the worm.”
STEPHANY HOLLIHAN SENSISTUDIO.COM “She always pushed me to have a career, study hard and work so I could be an independent woman. This is the most valuable advice she gave me.”
KAROLYN PHO KAROLYNPHO.COM “No one can take care of you better than you.”
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
GILAT SHANI UNREALFUR.COM.AU “For my mother, how we dressed was more important than anything else; she knitted and sewed most of my clothes when I was young, always with matching hair pieces too. She always said: What you wear has to suit yourself, then you’ll look presentable!”
INGRID EPITRO MINTYMEETSMUNT.COM “The best advice my mum gave me was to follow my heart and encouraged me to choose a career where I did what I loved. Most people I know chose careers based on what was a safe pick or what their parents thought was best for them. I’m glad I had her advice and support as it has paid off for me.”
TONY KARABETSOS BACKSTAGEPRESENTS.COM “Love everyone and everything.”
SARA CAVERLEY SOL-SANA.COM “Always wear lippy and sit up straight.”
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
MONTSE BASSONS
INSPIRED T
design
ENIKÖ TÓTH-KERN
he idea of the high heeled warrior is not unfamiliar to the women of Manhattan, New York. Everyday feels as if we’re headed into battle. Our armor? A killer pair of heels. In all our travels, no one personifies the warrior heel quite like Hungarian designer Enikö Tóth-Kern. “My ideal woman is dramatic and extremely feminine,” says Tóth-Kern. “She is a person who is not worried about what others think about her and feels as if anything is possible. I design shoes for her and those who are close to this positive philosophy of life and femininity.” Graduating from Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest in 2011 Tóth-Kern specialized in clothing and leather design but was drawn to footwear due to her love of technical design. “The thing I love most about footwear design,” says Tóth-Kern. “Is that I can transform my visions into real and tangible objects. This is really inspiring when your ideas come to life and you can follow the whole process—how it is formed, how it changes and how it evolves throughout the design process as it heads towards the final object.”
one of the most important elements. It’s what she believes makes her designs timeless rather than being driven by fashion trends that come and go with the seasons. Influenced by a variety of artistic inspirations from cinema to fetish culture, her designs run the gamut of ready-to-wear to wearable works of art—there really is something for every warrior woman within her collections. “I am fascinated with the oft-pondered boundary between function and fashion,” explains TóthKern. “My aim is to combine fashion with art—to merge the two values.” Indeed this amalgamation of surrealism-meets-function has attracted the attention of art and shoe lovers the world over. This is one designer who has made a name for herself as one who pushes the boundaries of footwear design. So what of the future? Will fashion design lure this enigmatic designer back or does footwear have a new commander? “In the future I’d like to make my collections more readily available in other countries and would love to extend my work, collaborate with artists and embrace interesting projects in contemporary art to create a truly unique artistic empire.” Worthy aims. After all, what’s a warrior woman without an empire? — NICOLE ROSS
For Tóth-Kern, the ideology behind the design is
ANNY-TKE.TUMBLR.COM HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
ANHEDONIA Photographed by DAVID KROVBLIT Styled by MARIE-EVE TREMBLAY
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN jacket; custom ring.
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
From left to right—On her: NORTHBOUND LEATHER bodysuit; ALEXANDER MCQUEEN blazer; NORTHBOUND LEATHER bodysuit; BERMAN & COMPANY cape; GREEN BIJOU earrings; custom shoes.
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
NORTHBOUND LEATHER bodysuit; ALEXANDER MCQUEEN jacket; GREEN BIJOU necklace; custom ring and footwear.
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
NORTHBOUND LEATHER bodysuit; JULES ROMAN ring.
Stylist’s own custom clothing and footwear; NADIA WERCHOLA necklace.
NORTHBOUND LEATHER bodysuit; JULES ROMAN ring; custom footwear. Hair & Makeup: JUKKA H/M Assistants: CHRISTOPHER MOOYER, CHRISTINE CALDE Set Designer: CAROLINE PANDELI Models: PLUTINO GROUP
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
DENIMISM Photographed by MAURIZIO FANTINI Styled by MANICOMIX
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
RALPH LAUREN dress; Stylist’s own corset, scarf (worn on head) and necklace.
SISLEY jacket; H&M shorts; Stylist’s own necklace, earrings and jeans (worn as turbon).
RIFLE VINTAGE shirt; BENETTON vest, Vintage overalls; Stylist’s own scarf (worn as turbon).
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
BENETTON Jacket and vest; Stylist’s own earrings and jeans (worn as turban).
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
DOLCE & GABBANA shirt; LEVI’S jeans; Stylist’s own scarf (worn on head), belt and necklace.
Vintage overalls; Stylist’s own scarf (worn as turban), belt and earrings.
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
H&M dress; ZARA sandals; Stylist’s own scarf (worn as turban), belt and earrings
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
BENETTON Jacket and vest; Stylist’s own jeans (worn as turban) and earrings. Makeup NICOLETTA CONTEDUCA Model JESSICA SAMEA
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
HEAVENLYheels HAVVA MUSTAFA
It’s a family affair for footwear designer Havva Mustafa.”My father and grandfather were in the shoe trade, so I’m the third generation,” she explains. Based in London, Mustafa grew up around lasts, leather and shoe design going on to study at Cordwainers and “passionately pursuing” a career in footwear for the last decade. Her aim is to express design through materiality, texture and composition while giving women that unique empowered feel that comes from wearing a pair of heavenly heels. “I want a woman to feel special,” says Mustafa. “I want them to feel excited beyond the initial buy and the first time they wear it. I want them to feel that excitement every time they wear it.” Foregoing an abundance of color to focus on shape and silhouette, Mustafa’s purposefully limited color palette allows for each shoes’ shapes and lines to become the focus. Simple yet chic collections make for covetable staples and conversation-worthy showstoppers. As with many footwear designers, a love of architecture is key when creating a new Havva Mustafa collection. “Architecture is a big influence,” explains Mustafa. “There is so much depth and ongoing detail within a building; such a variety of shapes and forms that you don’t really see anywhere else. Being able to draw ideas from this, taking fine details, scaling it and translating it into footwear
design is exciting for me.” With years of experience and family members to consult when obstacles arise, the biggest challenge for Mustafa—as is the case for many independent footwear designers—is the constant need to set oneself apart in a marketplace dominated by multi-brand conglomerates. “I feel that over the past few collections we are finally starting to hit our stride,” says Mustafa. “Being at London Fashion Week was a big goal for us this year and being able to achieve that right from the get-go has really given us brand awareness. I feel that the brand is connecting with a lot more people.” And indeed many are flocking to the Havva Mustafa way of design—simple lines, quality materials. When asked what Mustafa’s hopes for the future are, the designer doesn’t talk global expansion or increased margins. For Mustafa, her primary aim is simply to “be able to keep expressing ideas through the beauty of footwear.” With goals such as these, success is sure to follow wherever her shoes may take her. — ANGELA GILLTRAP
HAVVAMUSTAFA.COM
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
HYPNOTIZINGLY timeless JAXJEWELRY
When it comes to warrior-esque designs look no further than Parisian label Jaxjewelry. Working exclusively with 3D printing, we caught up Jaklin Leib, the creative mind behind the design.
If you had to describe your jewelry in three words, what would they be? I would hope people see my designs as fresh, timeless and hypnotizing. When it comes to creating new designs where do you find your inspiration? I have for long been driven by the question, ‘What makes something beautiful?’ ‘What has a designer or a painter understood about beauty to produce an object or painting that is so perfectly hypnotizing and timeless?’ Of course there are many answers but most were revealed to me when I realized that there is a kind of beauty that transcends the thought process, knowledge of art history or design trends; a spontaneous beauty in nature’s structures and rhythms. I search how artists or scientists represent, calculate and understand these natural rhythms and architectures. In my designs I look for the crossroads of these representations, to always hope to find a common denominator of beauty in patterns and shapes that inspire my models.
I have found in 3D printing and in computer assisted design a magical playground where I can implement mathematical algorithms to designs and reinterpret these forms with my own eye. I studied graphic design in college and in University in Paris and this recurrent theme has always been a large part of my artistic research. What materials do you most like to work with? At first I was designing jewelery made exclusively of black flexible plastic. I have created pieces using this material for a fashion show in Paris. In 3D printing technology, which is evolving quickly, other materials such as silver and gold are now available materials I use for my designs by predilection, progressively starting to add gems to my work such as diamonds, pearls and sapphires. When it comes to the role jewelry plays in our lives; how it makes us feel and how we view it, what are your thoughts? I’d like women’s beauty to be glorified and want women to feel like show stoppers.
SHAPEWAYS.COM/DESIGNER/JAXJEWELRY HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
well heeled
HOT SEAT MELANIE NOTKIN We put author and Auntie advocate Melanie Notkin in this month’s Well Heeled Hot Seat. Sequins or Satin? Sequins. Flats or Five Inches? Five Inches. Under-dressed or Overdressed? Overdressed. Enormous Bag or Tiny Tote? Tiny Tote. What’s your fashion mantra to the masses? Style never goes out of fashion. Check out her latest book, Otherhood: Modern Women Finding A New Kind of Happiness.
HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
S
HOP Our editors have traversed the globe to bring you the best in designer footwear so sit back, relax and let your fingers do the walking.
SERGIO ROSSI
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VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
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HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
TOO FAST
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PRIVILEGED
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ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
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GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI
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JUSTFAB
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ELLIE SHOES
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TED BAKER
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DIANE VON FURSTENBERG
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HEAVEN HAS HEELS may 2014
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