OBJET D' ART: KANYE WEST + GUISEPPE ZANOTTI

"Reebok, baby, you need to try some new things; have you ever had shoes without shoe strings? What's that, Ye? Baby, these heels. . ." - Kanye, We Run this Town. "What's Gucci my $*#!? What's Louis my killa'? What's drugs my dealer? What's that jacket Margiela?" - Kanye, $*#!s in Paris

Kanye knows fashion, no question. His love of fashion and design is evident in his music, musings on his blog and other extramusical pursuits. Even his romantic partners have a keen facility for fashion.* But, Kanye's aptitude for fashion is most apparent in his personal styling. His sartorial style is bold and brash and very much in keeping with his personality. His many varied ensembles suggest a serious understanding of tailoring, fit, colors and textures. The calf leather sandals above, replete with embroidered pearls, evinces Guiseppe Zanotti's expert craftmanship and Kanye's flair for the dramatic. The pair also highlight an intuition for that which is current, for what is fashionable now; these sandals are right on time! The beadwork is reminiscent of South African Zulu artistry and of jewelery worn by Kenya's Masai. The African inspired beading will complement the bold color palettes and Africa inspired collections of Spring 2012. These sandals made their debut during Kanye's Spring/Summer 2012 Presentation and are now available at French retailer Colette for €4,420, approximately $5,800. A second pair of heels designed by the duo is also available at Colette. The black leather and velvet sandal costs €705 or approximately $930. Click on the label below for vintage Objet d' Arts posts!

* Ex-fiance Alexis Phifer is a designer (click here to see my coverage of her showing at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week) and former Kanye paramour Amber Rose is a spectacular study in contrasting high fashion and sporty activewear.

OBJET D'ART: FLIGHT OF FANCY

I've searched high and low for the cape above to no avail. It originated from this blog, which is sublime by the way (I assume it's written by a man, but maybe not). On it he shares his favorite images, his favorite things, but doesn't use titles, there's hardly any text and the photos are random (or so he says). I wish I knew more about this cape (and that blog). What type of feathers are those, exactly? It's vintage, obvi, but when was it made? Who conceived of it? Should it be worn or displayed? For whom was it made?

Update: I've found out more about this fantastic cape! The information below was taken from The Metropolitan Museum of Art's website.

Designer: George Peter Stavropoulos (American, born Greece, 1920–1990)
Object Name: Cape, Evening
Date: ca. 1979
Culture: American
Medium: feathers, silk
Dimensions: L. at center back 20 in. (50.7 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Barbara B. Brickman, 1997
Accession Number: 1997.262

OBJET D'ART: SERPENTINE MIRROR

The "Stella", a silver gilded French antique made with elegantly arranged abalone shells.

I have a thing for mirrors, but my place is surprisingly bereft of them. For example, I've been living without a full-length mirror for more than a year now and will not even try to describe how I go about seeing how a complete outfit looks after getting dressed. Recently, while on a trip to Amsterdam, a good friend and I came across some spectacular mirrors being sold by a vendor during Queen's Day. We were able to convince the seller to ship to the States and voilà, I now have two mirrors in addition to the one above my bathroom sink. In any event, I still can't see a full outfit, because the mirrors are definitely not full length and I'm in love, again, with the mirror above. Isn't it great? It's sold by Made Goods, I'll be visiting this site often to ogle mirrors, chandeliers, accent furniture and other objets d' art!

Click "read more" below to check out pictures of my newly acquired mirrors! Click on the label below for vintage Objet d'Arts posts.

OBJET D'ART: COLOMBIAN EMERALD RING

Colombian Emerald Ring $145,000 on 1stdibs.com.

This emerald ring, from France circa 1910, is set in platinum and encircled by diamonds. The ring is approximately 3.2 carats and is in excellent condition. The emerald itself is from Columbia, where the rarest and finest emeralds originate; they're prized for their transparency, crystallization, and fire. Buy this stunner at 1stdibs.com! Click on the label below for vintage Objet d' Art posts!

OBJET D'ART: CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN JEWELED PLATFORM

Christian Louboutin's Glitter Platforms $2,830.00 at Bergdorf Goodman.

I don't really need to say much about these bejeweled beauties. The 5-inch sparklers are guaranteed to elevate any outfit. I would prefer to wear these with jeans and a white tee. Made of electric blue metallic leather, technicolored stones and a hidden platform, these mutlticolored slingbacks are a bit outrageous, but definitely museum worthy.

Click on the label below for vintage Objet d' Art posts!

OBJET D'ART: LOUIS VUITTON SPICY SANDAL

Louis Vuitton's suede and feather Spicy sandal, $2,289 at Louis Vuitton.

Marc Jacobs must have had fun creating this shoe, and the many others in the Spicy collection. Straight from the runway, this mixed media piece is made from a veritable smorgasbord of materials, including plume feathers, tribal beads, sequins, metallic lace, suede and the leather from a baby goat. The shoe as collage is a cheeky homage to art.
Click on the link below for vintage Objet D'Art posts!

OBJET D'ART: ROBERTO CAVALLI PAVE CLAW-SET RING

Roberto Cavalli's Pave Claw-Set Ring, $395 at vivre.com

Economical luxe. The black or crystal four-pronged goldtone pave ring is opulent enough to dramatize any holiday outfit and the price tag is low enough to make the ring a pretty inexpensive heirloom. Click on the label below for vintage Objet D'Art posts.

OBJET D'ART: CESARE PACIOTTI BROCADE BOOT

Cesare Paciotti's Brocade Boot. $850, at Cesare Paciotti Boutique, NYC

Rich in texture, color (and price), this boot recalls an opulence and beauty from times past. The brocade and textured leather, in intensely regal purple and gold, evinces the ornamental flourish that only master artisans can produce. This boot will work well with the varying shades of violet, eggplant and aubergine that will be a hit this Fall!