Welcome 2012! It’s a bit odd saying and writing those numbers because my internal clock still feels like I’m stuck in 2011 or later.

This past weekend I spent a lot of time thinking about what I want to write for my first blog entry of the year. Do I write something funny, recap my favourite moments of 2011 or write what I want to achieve in 2012?

To get some inspiration I revisited the first blog post I wrote in 2011 and after reading it I immediately said to myself, “Well that was a bit depressing I’m usually optimistic. What was I thinking?”

2011 was good to me; I had a lot of great opportunities come my way, such as writing for Globalnews.ca for LG Fashion Week, appearing alongside Canada’s top bloggers on FLARE.com and making my TV debut on Much Music. I also had the chance to attend a multitude of fashion events and met world renowned designers such as Oscar de la Renta and Barbara Bui – it’s definitely been a good year.

• Introduce new and exciting content to The Souls of My Shoes
  
• Make smarter shopping choices (a.k.a.: refrain from buying on impulse)
  
• Buy shoes that fit properly and don’t hurt my feet (a.k.a.: refrain from buying on impulse)
  
• Save money towards buying my own place
  
• Practice more yoga

Finally, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year filled with positivity. Thank you for all or your support throughout the past two years and I look forward to a great 2012 with you that includes fun, fortune and shoes!

Sincerely,
Kimberly

Image gallery #1, picture #2 taken by Sharon Ng, Backseatstyles

For the second season in a row, I’ll be working with the online team at Globalnews.ca to help cover the spring/summer 2012 runway shows at LG Fashion Week.

The first time I worked with Global News’ online team was back in March where they chose a select group of fashion insiders to bring audiences up-to-the minute tweets from the runway. This time around, I’ll be writing a few blog entries for them to cover some of the shows for the ss2012 season; click here to see my very own profile page on Globalnews.ca!

I always find it a great compliment when respected new outlets approach me to do a bit of writing for them and it’s great to partner backup with Globalnews.ca.

To read my blog entries and see some of the coverage of LG Fashion week visit Global Fashion.

Fashion in the news is a collection of articles and blog entries that catch my attention, and is in my opinion worth reading. Enjoy!

Earlier this month, Vogue.com won a Webby Award for the category, “People's Voice Winner.” In its 15th year, the Webbys are held annually to honour excellence on the Internet. Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, was on had to accept this award and in keeping with the time-honoured Webbys tradition – honourees are limited to a five word acceptance speech – she summed up her feelings on fashion and the Internet. Wouldn’t it be amazing if all award shows operated like this?

What will be a luxury in the future? (BBC) - "Worldwide sales of luxury goods are booming and predicted to keep on growing, but the history of luxury shows us just how much the concept of luxury has - and is - changing."

Fashion 2.0 | Finding the Luxury in Mass Customisation (Business of Fashion) – In light of world-wide mass production “the rise of a new mode of production called ‘mass customisation’ promises to restore individuality to the product design process.”

Slow but steady: J.Crew plays it safe with Canadian expansion (Canadian Business) – “J.Crew, will soon be available to Canadian shoppers. The brand has announced that it will open its first store at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in August 2011.”

Busting Through Blogging Plateaus (Independent Fashion Bloggers) – “Plateaus don’t have to be permanent. But they do require hard work to break through them.”

Five ways to end your fashion design career (Final Fashion) – “Christobel Balenciaga chose when to retire, saying ‘it’s a dog’s life.’ It is a rare designer who can exit so gracefully. From history, here are five more ways to drop out as a fashion designer.”

C-Suite: Joseph Mimran's Fresh strategy (National Post) – Joe Mimran talks “about taking Joe Fresh apparel to the U.S. market with a Fifth Avenue flagship store, the impending arrival of Target to Canada and his first-timer's approach to putting clothes into a grocery store.”

LVMH Will Not Rehire John Galliano (The Cut) – “Bill Gaytten has been named creative director of John Galliano...LVMH Chief, Bernard Arnault told (Cathy) Horyn that Galliano would definitely not return.”

Medium magazine, Canada’s style and beauty community is currently featuring me in an online piece called, “Blogger of the Week.”

I was interviewed by the lovely Brigid Towler who shocked me with a very kind introduction, describing me as the “essence of class” and a “Toronto stunner” – damn!

You can read the full article here, Blogger of the Week- The Souls of My Shoes.

Fashion in the news is a collection of articles and blog entries that catch my attention, and is in my opinion worth reading. Enjoy!

McQueen: Savage Beauty on Nowness.com

The video above is a behind-the-scenes look at the Costume Institute of New York's McQueen retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which opened last week. The video highlights milliner, Philip Treacy and jeweller, Shaun Leane and their work with McQueen in which their pieces are featured in the retrospective.

French luxe clothes seller buys skate brand Volcom (Bloomberg) – “Volcom Inc., a California-based skater store that brands itself as "youth against establishment," expects to be bought by PPR, the French company that runs luxury brands including Gucci and Alexander McQueen.”

Fashion 2.0 | Fashion PR in the Digital Age (Business of Fashion) –“Today, in exclusive conversations with the industry’s leading publicists, BoF examines how new media has transformed the PR landscape and how the sector’s top agencies are adapting to life in the digital age.”

LVMH backed funds looking to buy emerging Asian brands (CPP Luxury) – “A $650-million private equity fund backed by the world's top luxury retailer LVMH is on the prowl for emerging Asian brands in the hope of transforming them into global names.”

Pierre Cardin puts fashion label up for sale: report – (Reuters) – “Cardin, known for his avant-garde designs, told the paper he was hoping to get as much as 1 billion euros ($1.48 billion) for his business, principally made up of license contracts, which critics say have contributed to weakening the brand's image.”

John Galliano's latest legal battles (Telegraph UK) – “Fashion designer John Galliano, facing trial for a drunken anti-Semitic rant, is suing his former lawyers for embezzlement and is being counter-sued for defamation, the two sides' legal teams confirmed today.”

Designer Patrick Robinson to Depart After Four Years in Latest Shake-Up (Wall Street Journal) – Patrick Robinson’s “departure after four years of lackluster results was yet another sign of Gap Inc.'s failure to breathe new life into its namesake brand, which peaked in the mid-1990s.”

Video courtesy of Nowness

“From March 28 to April 2, Globalnews.ca is blogging each day of the fashion extravaganza. Follow our live coverage as our experts and those with a true love for fashion bring you insider updates from the city’s most highly anticipated fashion event of the year.

Click here to join our coverage of Toronto Fashion Week 2011

Read it on Global News: Toronto Fashion Week | LGFW 2011 | Live coverage contributors.”

Create + Cultivate

It’s been a while since I’ve published a blog entry which delves into what I’m thinking or how I’m feeling these days. I feel that I’m falling short on my personal goals to be more introspective on The Souls of My Shoes. The whole reason I started this blog was to serve as a creative and intellectual outlet, a place where I can express myself.

My inconsistency in this area is simply attributed to a lack of time and saturation of the mind. Being in front of a computer eight hours a day (or more) at work and then coming home to blog for another four hours (or more) sometimes sucks the creative juices out of me. 

Many of my blogging counterparts who lead this double life will agree – work reality verses the online world is extremely fulfilling but at times can be tiring.

There are bloggers who seem to effortlessly write openly, honestly and very often about their thoughts and life experiences, which is why I can’t help but feel admiration and a little envy about their abilities to do this. I guess what I’m experiencing is the challenges of being a blogger passing their 1 ½ year mark; you are responsible and accountable for cultivating content and thought, as well as staying true to yourself and maintaining your space in the online world.  

I feel the need to get back to my roots - to think, create and cultivate more.

It’s now 2011 and I can’t help but feel a little subdued entering this New Year when compared with those of the past ushered in with copious amounts of hopes and dreams. For me, part of it has to do with an accumulation of life experiences and also venturing into a New Year that’s yet to unfold.

Who knew that in 2010 the fashion world would lose one of its shining beacons of innovation, the death of designer Alexander McQueen? Just a few days ago several friends and I reminisced about the exact moment where we were when news of McQueen’s death broke online; we were working, at home, on a bus or in a meeting.

Personally, 2010 brought an incredible amount of good fortune and opportunity for me. I’ve meet so many new and talented people; attended London Fashion Week; met footwear designers Nicholas Kirkwood and Charlotte Olympia Dellal and was featured in NOW Magazine’s fall fashion issue. These occurrences were mostly unexpected events and it’s a testament that any year can present the most pleasant and sometimes unpleasant surprises.

Where people make “resolutions” I choose to make “goals” which in my mind are more attainable. Here’s just a small sample of my goals for 2011:

• Make smarter shopping choices
• Save money and invest
• Introduce new content to The Souls of My Shoes
• Go to the gym more

With these goals in mind, I’m entering 2011 with a let’s wait and see attitude coupled with a healthy dose of optimism. Therefore, I say Happy New Year to you and now let’s see what will happen.

Pierre Cardin is one of the first names in fashion I learned of as a child and since then he’s held a reverent part in my psyche. Recently, celebrations were held to commemorate his 60 years in the fashion industry. The New York Times also published an article and video interview of the legendary designer, “Pierre Cardin: One Step Ahead of Tomorrow.”

Carine Roitfeld Leaving French Vogue (Fashion Wire Daily) – “Carine Roitfeld has resigned her position as editor-in-chief of French Vogue after a decade in the job and in the wake of a scandal involving her parallel consulting career as a consultant and stylist” – sooner or later her mess up with the House of Balenciaga would come back to bite her in the ass.

“Tron: Legacy” costume designer talk light-up suits, pixie hairdos and Spanx (LA Times) – Skin tight body suits which light up – now that’s my kind of Halloween costume! Booth Moore interviews Christine Clark, co-costume designer for Tron: Legacy about “what exactly went into designing the garb worn on and off the grid.”

Fashion PR: Fashion Blogger Burnout? (PR Couture) – Crosby Noricks of PR Couture insightfully writes, “My nose is crinkling with a whiff of impending ‘fashion blogger plus fashion brand’ overkill... I’m calling for fashion brands, and by extension their PR departments to take a step back. Think about your long-term strategy, brand perception and promise” – article via Danielle Meder of Final Fashion.

Trendspotting: 11 retailers who do social media right (Retail Big Blog) – A listing of the top 11 retailers who are making innovative moves in the social media sphere such as Amazon, Zappos and Burberry.

Young designers invade Brussels with fashion trail (Reuters Fashion) – “Brussels might not have the couture cachet of London, Paris or Milan, but a small group of avant-garde fashionistas is giving the Belgian capital an underground designer edge.”

Ports 1961 Gets Into Menswear (Textile Global) – “The New York-based company will launch with the Fall 2011 collection, and will be designed under the creative direction of Fiona Cibani... the men’s line will be presented in Milan in January 2011, during the city’s Men’s Fashion Week.”

10 Best Runway Shoes of 2010 (WWD Footwear News) – WWD’s Footwear News takes a look back “on the year’s biggest shoe hits. From spring’s rampant clog trend and playful Lucite styles to fall’s hiking and menswear-inspired looks, these trends were memorable this year.”

Video from Dailymotion