Aria by Pour La Victoire

The Showstopper: The Aria by Pour La Victoire sings to us.

"My best friend's mom told her she needs to wear slingbacks to get a man," we overheard at the office the other day. "She said they are sexy!" Well, single men, beware. If there is truth to that assertion, then the Aria by Pour La Victoire shall surely seal your fate. Aria is just about the sexiest slingback we've seen pass through here. But don't take our word for it.

"Ohh, I LOVE the shoes in your profile pic," gushes a fan on Facebook as the teal Arias went online. "Are you selling them right now??? Details?" A standard response. What's the rumpus? Like its operatic namesake, the Aria is meant to draw attention to a single performer: you. It does this through  a range of talents: the high gloss on the pitch-perfect shade of lilac, the ideal ratio of heel height to platform, the sophisticated upsweep of the closed toe like the prow of a Cunard liner and graceful lines arching back into that elegant slingback.

Choose the powerful teal patent to make a statement or the light and airy lilac for a subtle, more feminine charm. Either sings the spirit of spring with clear and resonant tones. The more we thought on it, the more excuses we found to wear them: Sunday brunch, Mother's Day, Easter, all of Derby Days! (Especially the not-to-be-missed Thunder Over Louisville.)

These optimistic colors are also fairly neutral when it comes to pairing with other strong seasonal trends: straw and raffia clutches, floral-print sundresses and tops, sun hats. Florals are especially suitable: use the teal platforms to pick up on base notes and shadows in the pattern; lilac graces the top notes of blossoms and leaf highlights. Aria adds complexity without confusion and leaves a spring in your (now taller) step that will make you the star of any event. On that high note, we'll leave you to enjoy!



 

Bianca by Pour La Victoire

Architectural Integrity: Pour La Victoire's Bianca builds up excitement for Spring.

As we mentioned in our blog the other week, the Bianca by Pour La Victoire epitomizes the platform pump trend this Spring as well as designs inspired by modern architecture. We are absolutely wowed by the crazy laticework uppers in black leather or dove grey suede. They are aggressive and forward while referencing work by contemporary masters like Koolhaas, Gehry, Calatrava and (our favorite) Le Courbusier (we're thinking Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut Ronchamp).

Another trend we heart is the use of brightly colored leather linings and other secretive pops of color on standard-issue blacks, browns and greys. There's an excitement there; this sense of something more than just the lines of the shoe. It's a secret surprise. Surely the woman who wears these has some tantalizing secrets of her own, n'est pas? While the black Bianca is lined in screaming yellow-lime, the grey is paired to a gentle aqua ... but the sole is sheathed in cobalt blue. These shoes reveal something new with each wear. It brings the structure inside. As a stained glass window builds a luminous image out of fragments, the Bianca hints at your character through color and shape, fullness and absence.

The Bianca is a very forward gal. She's complex and confident. Despite her architectural lines, some might call her mercurial (but we think she just takes time to unfold). Aggressive, but not easy. A bit of a wildcat and definitely a patron of the beautiful, this shoe requires a confident woman that can harness Bianca's energy. Otherwise you may just find that the Bianca isn't something you wear, it's something that wears you.

And we like a shoe that makes us work for it.

Rena by Pour La Victoire

Arched Support: The Rena in Dark Brown by Pour La Victoire

Pour La Victoire has long been dear to our hearts. Their explorations of form belie a love for the beauty of a well-crafted shoe. Pour La Victoire shoes and boots have a curiosity and precocity that never fails to look stunning. In this interim sale season between fall/winter yet on the cusp of resort and, then, spring, we could use some inspiration. This week we take a look at a seasonless boot gorgeous in its details: the Rena in dark brown.

We find the Rena both timely and timeless. The recent emphasis on boots makes it contemporary; classic, clean, aristocratic lines and warm, chestnut brown leathers support a host of outfits. Thanks to its extra-tall shaft (over the knee with the cuff up) this boot accommodates tucked jeans and a crisp top, yet works under a skirt. We see this with a white summer dress and lots of necklaces, or something richly green, full and knee-length with bright and patterned tights peeking out from the inch or so of exposed leg.

The materials are equally amenable to a variety of stylings. The pebbled leather shaft has a buttery hand and its lightweight suppleness makes it wearable year-round. A buckled strap at the knee keeps the boot hiked up. Loosen it to let the leather slouch down on itself for a more casual, scrunched look. The smooth vamp rounds out in a classic toe immune to ever-changing fads. The 1-3/4" stacked wood heel under a leather sole provides a bit of lift. A golden zipper on the inside shaft eliminates the huffing and yanking typical of the effort to don tall boots.

The sum of all this is a boot with range. Wear it clean and classic or down and dirty. Wear it up ... or even more up. Jeans? Yes. Skirts? Of course. Wear it in fall, spring or in these dead periods between seasons when a boot like this escapes trends and points to a quiet, elegant beauty.