NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2011 / — Last night at Isabel Toledo’s first runway event in more than a decade at a show held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the designer debuted her Spring ’12 apparel line paired with her Isabel Toledo for Payless Spring ’12 collection featuring nine shoes and two handbags that channel Toledo’s practical elegance design aesthetic.
The debut of the Spring Payless designer label — Toledo’s sixth line for the retailer — featured shoes with a light, minimal feel offering a range of heel heights from flats and something the designer calls “high flats,” to silver bullet high heels and sculptural wedges.
The runway collection includes the casual-chic Beach Boot with a soft, crushable natural linen tall-shaft upper designed to be worn pushed down and slouchy, flat sole and “sand escape holes,” as well as the Espawind, a fresh aerodynamic take on the classic espadrille featuring striped and cobalt blue canvas uppers atop a stacked platform sole with alternating cobalt patent and jute rope striping, as well as Toledo’s signature wrap-around ankle strap.
The Romadora is a sexy update to the classic fisherman’s sandals with its silver bullet heel and multiple cross-the-vamp straps done in silver and gold tones — “like bangles for the feet,” according to Toledo.
The Cleo is a similar silhouette but with fewer gold-silver straps as is the Isabel Aquarelle, which is done in a range of color combinations featuring splashes of sunset colors.
The very versatile Bikini Billy style is what Toledo calls sexy-yet-practical “tango heels” that feature a thong upper, substantial heel and slight pod platform sole.
Three additional shoe styles complete the runway line: the unique Tiena “high flat” features a flat platform wedge with the stability and comfort of a flat sole slightly elevated and done in wood grain that is a strong contrast to the slick shiny finish of cobalt patent upper; the Mary wedge with its Mary Jane upper design done in solar and natural colors adorned with cobalt blue patent piping and paired with a sculptural wedge sole featuring Toledo’s signature zig-zag ripple bottom treatment; and the Marina flat. Coordinating handbags include the Tear Drop tote in color-blocked natural linen and the Riviera tote in silver with natural linen and Caribbean blue raffia with bound cobalt patent.
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