Lita Fab by Jeffrey Campbell

Get Medieval: The Lita Fab by Jeffrey Campbell brings tapestries into the fashion limelight.

We haven't seen tapestry this enchanting since our last trip to The Cloisters. Jeffrey Campbell is an artist with his shoes: once he settles on a form he works and reworks it relentlessly with materials updates and embellishments. Us? We are the connoisseurs. We benefit with each new iteration. The latest, the Lita Fab, eschews leather altogether for a rich tapestry fabric that is one part Medieval masterpiece and two parts your grandma's furniture. That adds up to a quirky-cool, sky-high heel with a hidden platform that will rock your look.

It also rocks some trends. The five-inch heel (and two-inch platform) is a comfortable ride and a high-powered bootie. Witness the influence of the laces craze with an eight-eyelet fabric lace-up front. The tapestry, for all its departure from the norm, has a distinctive animal print affiliation. Patterns are good; busy is better.

The Lita Fab is a lot of shoe, but it is an accommodating shoe. We can see this with high-waisted skirts or an ultra-dark selvage denim. Also, gray. (Gray denim is a secret favorite.) Keep the outfit minimalist and let the shoe bear the weight of the look.

Or not.

This is Jeffrey Campbell, after all, and restraint is not the first word that comes to mind. Take it the other way: distressed-to-destroyed denim; bold, chunky (gray) cable sweaters or sweater coats; an animal print clutch or leopard print catseye sunglasses; a carpet bag. Not all this at once, mind you; we'll be maximal, not louche. Take your cues from this shoe and amplify it somewhere else on your outfit.

The Lita Fab is just that: fabulous. We recommend doing it and yourself justice by being nothing less. Enjoy!