Stop press!!! Shoe alert, shoe alert!!! Recently, I attended the launch party for  new shiny London shoe brand, called Viviela, fruit of the  work of Brazilian artist Viviane Leal de Melo and Lithuania-born architect Ela Meneghetti Rocha.

Barnes, my favourite!

The chosen venue said a lot about their first line, the autumn/winter 12-13  collection: classy.  Set in the Vertillon bar at Hotel Verta, next to the London Heliport in Battersea, the evening was a delightful combination of  a few of my favourite things: shoes, bubbly and a river view terrace with lovely weather.

The shoes were beautiful, I would wear at least a good seven from the collection. All different designs are named after London neighbourhoods – quite a cute tribute to the brand home city. My favourite one is, without a doubt, Barnes (which is quite weird, as I lived in Barnes for quite a while) – the little “wings” it has at the back are just adorable.

Hand-made

In leather, of course, they are all hand-made in Spain. I touched all the shoes on display and you could feel the quality. I tried on the Barnes in brown and orange suede (absolutely gorgeous!) and they were very comfortable, I could really feel the cushioning inside, and there was no tightness. I even tried another pair that was a little bit small for me and they felt ok. The heel, although high, is not thin, and offers good support when walking.

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Most of the shoes in the collection are high-heel courts.  The lines are simple and elegant and most shoes are sky-scrapers! Suede features quite a lot and black predominant, and overall, good neutral colours, suitable for all time wear in the coming season. However, splashes of colour are present and the attention is on the small details which usually run on the back of the shoes: a funky heel shape, colour contrast, visible stitching, different texture, studs or fringes.

The ankle and knee-high boots are fierce, with some of the latter having “boat” shaped toes. The black Ealing mid-calf  and the Mayfair ankle boots have a fabulous bright pink detail at the back!  The forest green Camden ankle boots have a beautiful shape and studs at the back. Lovely.

For me, Kensington, City, Bromley, Piccadilly and Westminster are more demure and a bit more serious, in lighter, natural tones, but are equally enchanting, especially City. They strike me as perfect work shoes that can transition through the evening social events without looking too “office”.

“We wanted to create a brand representing a style for ‘grown up’ confident women. For women who know what they want and who want to look and feel great. For women who keep an eye on the latest trends, but who refuse to compromise on comfort and quality”, said the designers. Well, from what I see, they have succeeded, with a well rounded A/W collection to fit into many different women’s styles.

The whole Autumn/Winter 12-13 collection – image from viviela.co.uk

At the time of the event, the prices weren’t advertised; I am really curious to find out the price range for this collection.

I wish the designers the best of luck on their new venture, and I will be keeping my eyes open for when they go on sale as I am afraid I have fallen for Barnes!

Viviela London