Colorful and daring new collections hit fashion shops

During spring and summer this year, footwear trends have been described as extremely fun and vibrant. There are classic high heels, metallic finishes, transparent footwear and eye-catching prints. [Photo/Provided to China Daily]

When spring and summer arrive and the good weather begins, females start putting away their warm clothes and start shopping for the latest seasonal fashions.

IT manager Wang Lei, 30, makes shoes the priority for her shopping list.

"Shoes are like the foundations. If the foundations aren't right, the building won't stand upright and if a woman's balance isn't right, nothing else is," Wang said, quoting designer Jimmy Choo.

"A pair of amazing shoes makes you stand out on any occasion," she added. Wang said she had around 40 pairs of shoes for different occasions, which include work, travel, parties, even for showing-off.

Susanna Nicoletti, communication and marketing director of Sergio Rossi, an Italian women's footwear company, which is renowned for its craftsmanship and feminine designs, said: "Choosing a pair of shoes makes you happy. It's a nice moment when you find time for yourself and try on a pair of shoes. You think about yourself at different events. It's sort of a passion. It's sort of a way of expressing yourself."

Carrie Bradshaw, a fictional character and fashionista in the HBO sitcom Sex and the City, said in one episode: "The fact is, sometimes it's really hard to walk in a single woman's shoes. That's why we need really special ones now and then to make the walk a little more fun."

During spring and summer this year, footwear trends have been described as extremely fun and vibrant. There are classic high heels, metallic finishes, transparent footwear and eye-catching prints.

Transparent shoes, which were inspired by fairy tale character Cinderella's crystal shoes, or those with some transparency, such as heels and straps, together with floral prints, checks, polka dots and geometric patterns, feature in this season's shoes at Kate Spade, J Crew, Valentino and Donna Karan.

For Sergio Rossi, the spring-summer 2013 collection uses bold colors, woven leather, metallic surfaces and crystal intarsia for heels, soles and straps to define its daring and sharp tone.

"Shoes are a piece of art. They are sensuality. It's a mixture of simplicity and purity," said Christophe Melard, president and chief executive officer at Sergio Rossi.

Melard said the new collection has been widely welcomed in China, especially their high heels shoes with platforms. He added the Chinese prefer certain colors, such as pink, light blue, gold and red - with metallic gold details.

"Stripes are among the key trends this season. The Zara collection has lots of bold stripes and other elements such as polka dots, prints, bright summer hues and more," said Ben Xu, assistant communications manager at Zara China. The Spanish fast fashion giant introduced classic black and white striped wedge footwear for the season, which it says is perfect for a visit to the beach or a weekend morning.

It's not only shoes: Other accessories, such as scarves and bags, are also replacing dark and dull colors and featuring intense patterns and colors.

"For this season, striking colors and prints are very hot for scarves," said Xu. He said coral, neon and pure while colors, together with animal and floral prints are the most recommended style for this season.

Xu said Zara added several ethnic details for their new collection, such as a colorful linen trim on a man's blue suit and a tiger print on a scarf.

Oversized handbags are making way for small clutches and structured top handle bags.

This season there are plenty of eye-catching designer handbag trends worthy of a try, from pastel shades to complex prints to color blocking and different textures. The hottest handbags include Fendi's geometric colorblock pattern, Dolce and Gabbana's riotous prints, Phillip Lim's updated Pashli satchel and Michael Kors' neutral colorblock bags.

In addition, the noticeable trend for 2013 is the return of messenger bags, but in tiny sizes and bright colors, such as French luxury brand Celine's Mini and American label Coach's Mini Tanner Crossbody. These little bags can be great fun and very useful for young ladies to take to dances, bars or any other crowded public place where you only need to take a few little things, such as identity card, cash or credit cards, say fashion observers.

Italian leather goods brand Furla introduced the candy bag for this season. It is a series of bags using transparent rubber and bright colors, such as pink and emerald, a successful attempt to combine existing elements with new ideas.

Thanks to the brightness of the colors and the cleverness of the design, fashion companies are enjoying brisk business.

Melard said Sergio Rossi has several stores in China, and plans to open new flagship stores in Beijing and Shanghai in the near future because it has an optimistic outlook for the Chinese market.

"Sergio Rossi creates shoes that 'feel' the woman, the power and the confidence," said Nicoletti of Sergio Rossi. "Chinese women will love it."

The IT manager Wang said: "Every spring and summer is not only a time for change and a new beginning but also a time for fun and joy - and new shoes and bags offer that."