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| Photo credits: Steve Madden, original price - US$89.95 |
This may or may not look familiar to you.
But cut away a portion of the front, replace the conical heel with a slimmer heel, use sleek patent material
and you will have this:
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| Peeptoe Booties by Tian Fen Lan, S$33 with postage |
I thought this looks sexier than the original version I saw from Steve Madden's website.
Reminds me of something that Catwoman will wear.
p.s. the heels will really hurt someone, if you have to do some kick-ass action with it. Haha! =D
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| Photo credits: Batman returns |
Well, except that Michelle Pfeiffer (whom I think played Catwoman best) wore knee-high boots in the movie.
Then I saw this and got all hyper!
I think that's always the case for blogshop owners looking for manufacturing inspirations and hit jackpot when they stumbled onto something.
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| Photo credits: Steve Madden, original price - US$129.95 |
實在真的有夠美咯！
I was bowled over, excitedly turned my laptop to face the Husband and gushed about this design.
Only to meet with a 白板臉.
He saw the photos, looked at my earnest face and asked, "Why do you always like things that are so weird?"
WEIRD?? WEIRD MEH??
You see the textured, distressed like patent PVC? You see the ingenious fringe flap in front?
You see the frontal perforation for non-sweaty feet? You see the heart-shaped cut-out in front?
And the finishing knot to add on to the quaint/vintage look?
WHERE GOT WEIRD?? So CUTE to the max!
It's STEVE MADDEN, you know!!
Then he said, "I think you should just stick to simple designs. The previous oxfords look better."
He was referring to the original inspiration for the Peeptoe Booties.
But cannot be always just simple designs! Customers will get bored!
And how many basic designs can I sell when those BIG blogshops have already done a zillion of such shoes?
Dear, I think we have a compatibility problem. -__-
So anyway, I was staring at the 2nd pair of oxfords for the longest time ever.
It always take me eons to decide on what to manufacture.
I want to make it better than the original.
I want it to be more wearable for local gals.
I don't want to just copy wholesale. Okay, no guarantee on that, but I try. =P
I don't want to realise that I don't like it after all and abandon a sample, after my suppliers painstakingly get it done for me.
I don't want to appear fickle-minded to my suppliers and have a bad name.
So when I decide on what to manufacture, I zoom into the details and write lengthy emails/notes to my supplier, at the expense of replying customers' emails sometimes. =}
I was bowled over, excitedly turned my laptop to face the Husband and gushed about this design.
Only to meet with a 白板臉.
He saw the photos, looked at my earnest face and asked, "Why do you always like things that are so weird?"
WEIRD?? WEIRD MEH??
You see the textured, distressed like patent PVC? You see the ingenious fringe flap in front?
You see the frontal perforation for non-sweaty feet? You see the heart-shaped cut-out in front?
And the finishing knot to add on to the quaint/vintage look?
WHERE GOT WEIRD?? So CUTE to the max!
It's STEVE MADDEN, you know!!
Then he said, "I think you should just stick to simple designs. The previous oxfords look better."
He was referring to the original inspiration for the Peeptoe Booties.
But cannot be always just simple designs! Customers will get bored!
And how many basic designs can I sell when those BIG blogshops have already done a zillion of such shoes?
Dear, I think we have a compatibility problem. -__-
So anyway, I was staring at the 2nd pair of oxfords for the longest time ever.
It always take me eons to decide on what to manufacture.
I want to make it better than the original.
I want it to be more wearable for local gals.
I don't want to just copy wholesale. Okay, no guarantee on that, but I try. =P
I don't want to realise that I don't like it after all and abandon a sample, after my suppliers painstakingly get it done for me.
I don't want to appear fickle-minded to my suppliers and have a bad name.
So when I decide on what to manufacture, I zoom into the details and write lengthy emails/notes to my supplier, at the expense of replying customers' emails sometimes. =}
I have never met my suppliers before.
The Husband meet them instead, as last year TFL work wore me out so much that my heart problem aggravated.
Eating a simple lunch or bathing will have me panting breathlessly.
Eating a simple lunch or bathing will have me panting breathlessly.
I couldn't walk too far or talk too much, without feeling that my heart is going to give way.
Packing parcels and moving stock really tested my grit then. Sounds so drama huh?
Thank goodness I have a Postboy to help out! He is a hardworking boy!
I still feel breathless and then but all is fine better now though. =)
So being detailed in my emails & notes is really necessary to get things done right.
I'm a meticulous slow thinker. I take about 2-3 hours just to write an email or a 2-paged note, worrying that I would miss out on some important detail.
You know how some crucial realisation might strike you when you are discussing about something with someone?
I won't have the luxury of that, since there's no one I can discuss with and so I talked to myself. -__-
It's vital that I get things right the first time, to prevent hassles caused to my suppliers too.
It's vital that I get things right the first time, to prevent hassles caused to my suppliers too.
The Husband doesn't know much about what's going on in Tian Fen Lan, so it's not like he can make decisions for me unless I start selling men's clothes. Haha!
He's just there to convey the message for me and get the samples & colour charts from the suppliers.
He's really a great help! Knowing that I can't be there in person, the suppliers are really kind to me too! =D
Back to the oxfords!
I don't see many girls wearing oxfords, though they were touted as the next 'flats' when back in vogue 1-2 years ago.
Maybe it's too manly for local girls or the design is just not that popular? Not even our guys wear oxfords.
I, on the other hand, had been lemming for one pair since late 2009.
No blogshop was selling it, neither were the local shoe stores. My Taiwan supplier had it, but not in my big-foot size. =((
So it was a matter of time before I manufacture it, so that I can wear it!
Having done the Peeptoe Booties with a taller & slimmer heel, I decided to use the conical heel from the 1st inspiration on this oxford.
Chunky heels are a great alternative to stiletto heels!
They are less tiring for the legs, easier to balance, less formal & well, I'm trying to do something different here. =)
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Tadah! Peter Pan booties by 添芬藍 at S$33, postage included!
Trust me, they look even better in real life.
When I first saw the fringe flap, I thought of Peter Pan. But googling for images of the boy, this came up.
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| Photo credit: Disney.com |
So the shoes that Peter Pan wears do not resemble the TFL booties at all.
I did not even make it in that colour.
But I could not think of a better name (I'm terrible at it) and the name has stuck since I saw the Steve Madden photos.
So Peter Pan, they shall be. =D
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| Photo credit: Miyake |
Totally thrilled when blogger Miyake likes TFL's Peter Pan booties and look at the gorgeous photos she has taken!
I wonder how she took a shot like that. It's as if she's floating in the booties.
Hmm..now that reminds me of walking on Air Nike. Haha!
實在真的有夠專業咯! How creative! =D
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| Photo credit: Miyake |
Looks even better than my studio pics, huh?
If Miyake freelances as a photographer+stylist, blogshops are so going to flock to her like bees to honey.
I'll be the first in queue, together with the piggies. =DD
The Peter Pan booties have been launched! So see you at tianfenlan.blogspot.com!
Because I realise my previous homepage montages will never see the daylight once a new item is up, I'm going to slap it on my blog, so that the hours of squeezing my brain juices & killing my brain cells will not go down the drain. =D
欣雨 Xinyu
