Quite Continental

It’s here!

Very happy to share with you some of the looks I created for the Wolverine 1000 Mile Collection by Samantha Pleet F/W ’12 Lookbook!  As I mentioned in my behind-the-scenes post last week, the lookbook features an amazing collection of shoes by the lovely Brooklyn designer Samantha Pleet for Wolverine 1000 Mile, an American footwear company that has been in existence since 1883.  Based in Rockford, Michigan, Wolverine 1000 Mile is probably best known for their handsome workboots, worn by the hardworking people who built America’s railroads, highways and skyscrapers.

It is the first full-range shoe collection designed by Samantha Pleet, who best known for her whimsical apparel collections that frequently feature menswear-inspired details.  Her venture into footwear is especially apropos, considering her genealogy, with a great-grandmother who owned a shoe store and a grandfather who was a shoemaker.  The shoes made their debut at New York Fashion Week, at Samantha’s runway show, to great success.

I was ecstatic to be brought onboard to style the lookbook!  Working closely with Samantha and the great folks at Wolverine, I created a collection of looks inspired by the same amazing group of women who inspired Samantha’s designs.  Composed of vintage clothing from the amazing guys at Brooklyn Dry Goods, gorgeous accessories supplied by The Shiny Squirrel, some of Samantha’s own designs and even some of my own vintage pieces, I hoped to show how versatile the Wolverine 1000 Mile Collection by Samantha Pleet can be.

And, if I may quote myself (weird, sorry!) from the lookbook:

It was important to me to honor the spirit of adventure and independence and while creating looks for the modern woman, no matter if her adventures take her on safari in Kenya or on the subway downtown to the office.  As a girl who wears men’s shoes on occasion, I really love the subtlety of the Samantha Pleet x Wolverine 1K Mile collection.  Samantha doesn’t simply design men’s shoes for women, she combines the best of both worlds and has created something nuanced, nostalgic, but completely modern.

Last, but certainly not least, I had the privilege of working with the exceptionally talented photographer Mikael Kennedy, who took these amazing photographs.

Head here to view the lookbook!
I hope you like it!  I would love to hear your comments!

The Blixen boot.

Karen Blixen is the fearless romantic, the Out of Africa writer who left her native Denmark to establish a coffee plantation in Kenya.  When I think of Karen, I think of genteel safaris, of imported finery in the wilderness, with plenty of khaki and well-worn leather.  As I mixed vintage pieces with Samantha’s designs I felt as Karen must have, pairing romance with rough-and-tumble.  For the Blixen boot, I wanted each of these sides to show through – with one look reading more conventionally feminine and the other a bit more tomboyish.

The Earhart boot.

Amelia Earhart is travel personified.  She wanted to go everywhere, see everything – an adventurer for adventure’s sake.  When I think of Amelia, what immediately comes to mind are the trappings of an aviator, e.g., fleece-collared bombers and silk scarves, two of her personal signatures.  Here we stayed very close to Amelia’s own aesthetic, but the look is softened a silk blouse and romantic hair.

The Nesbit boot.

Evelyn Nesbit is the chameleon.  From humble beginnings, she reinvented herself as a chorus girl, actress and muse – so I really wanted to show versatile the beautiful kiltie boots she inspired Samantha to create.

The Nesbit oxford.

The Nesbit kiltie oxford is a true year-round, day-to-night shoe that will take you from the office, to the weekend, and everywhere in between.  The tomboy in me loves their dandy details with a dress or with cuffed trousers and no socks.

The Bonny boot.

Anne Bonny is a woman to be reckoned with, as she was one of the most infamous female pirates in history.  For this look I embraced the flamboyance of what Anne might have worn herself, pairing vintage ruffles with one of Samantha’s amazing capes.  I love the colors of this boot – it really widens your palette possibilities when creating outfits.

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All photographs by Mikael Kennedy, courtesy of Wolverine 1000 Mile.