Rupert Sanderson isn't a name you hear super often in the realm of shoe designers, what with that other guy taking up all the press space with his goddamned red soles. But I'm thinking that it's about time the fashion world started getting over the whole idea of the "it" shoe designer and instead start widening the spotlight to include names like Rupert Sanderson, Camilla Skovgaard, Charlotte Olympia, Sigerson Morrison, etc. (I think Nick Kirkwood is already reaching "it" proportions, or I would've included the brand too).

So it will be a breath of fresh air when Sanderson opens his first standalone boutique outside of London, on Hong Kong's On Lan Street, this March. (In your face, Mr Louboutin!) Best of all, since it will still be cold, you can still nab and wear his boots, which for me are the highlight of his footwear collection. The double-layered draped effect is what sold me the first time I spotted a Sanderson shoe creation, and I'll admit that while some of his other pumps and heels are a little bit staid for my taste, the drapey boot is one of the most interesting and flattering shapes I've seen recently.


Because if you really break it down, the ankle boot, that trend that's storming the city as we speak, is NOT FLATTERING. It cuts you off right at the end of the calf, making non-supermodels such as myself look like dwarves on stilts. If you consider that the YSL Tribute ankle boot sort of brought the ankle-boot idea to the forefront, that's because it has something like six-inch heels, and also boasts a very wide brim around the ankle, thereby making your legs look slim while sticking out of a fat hole. (Does that make sense? It's the same as the Uggs theory, they're such fat boots that they make your legs look skinny in comparison.) Anyway, the draped portion of the Sanderson boot also extends the leg line, so I'd imagine would solve all your fat ankle problems in a jiffy.

I'm also told that these are exceedingly comfortable shoes to wear... so you can catch me in line when the time comes.