el blog

WE ARE PROUD TO BE SNOBS

By Nicole Tongson:

Once upon a time, (well, at the end of the eighteenth century according to the Oxford Dictionary as well as many other respected sources), a snob was a cobbler. The shoemaker, or snob was at the very bottom of the social ladder and was known to be of humble origin and lack a title.

Although the word has almost a complete opposite meaning today, we are proud at Eidia Lush to have found our team of true professional "snobs".  They are by FAR the most talented artists I have ever had the pleasure of working with (and I come from a long background of professional art and design, so this is a big statement). 

It seems as though over the past few years, shoemaking has become known as somewhat of a glamorous profession. Students are flocking to design school to become shoe designers and claim they have the chops and skills to make shoes.  I can tell you by being immersed in the industry now for several years that it is far from glamorous.  To be a shoemaker, you have to have patience to the fullest degree.  While feeling the pressure of hundreds of unmade orders sitting behind you, you need to pay very close attention to EVERY SINGLE detail that crosses your eye.  In today's society, we don't understand the concept of patience and NOT rushing, which is why you'll find a lot of true cobblers to be of an older generation.

I took a trip to California last weekend to visit 3 of our main cobblers in the workshop and will be posting some amazing pictures next week of where your Eidia Lush masterpieces are created and how.  In the meantime, if you love the idea of true cobbling being still alive in the United States as much as I do, then you'll love the collection of "cobbler" themed images I've collected from Getty Images below:

Cobblers come in all shapes and sizes, from all countries and cities...the only problem is that it is a dying trade (one which is practically already dead in the United States). Because of the man hours invested in each pair of handmade shoes (for one pair of Eidia Lush shoes it takes more than 20+ solid hours), cobblers can't compete with mass manufacturers from China and other shoe exporting countries.  By buying Eidia Lush shoes, you are helping bring back this trade to the United States.  We are proud to have our team of professional cobblers (or snobs).  Design your own pair of shoes today and support them!

Girls Night Out

By Nicole Tongson

Tonight we're participating in a Girl's Night Out to benefit the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life (Team BCH) in Miami, FL.  If you're lucky enough to attend the event in person, be sure to grab one of our free hand-made shoe bags! If you're stuck up here freezing in the north like myself, read on...

To help support the women behind this event and their amazing cause, we are extending our donations to be applicable to all our of followers nation-wide.  If you design and purchase a pair of Eidia Lush shoes using code GIRLSNIGHTOUT2010 before Dec 31st, we will donate $20 to their cause.  You design and we donate...it's that simple!

Delirium Descent

On July 30th, models will be strutting down the runway in custom designed Eidia Lush shoes at the Debonair Social Club in Wicker Park.  10 haute couture designs created by our lead shoe stylists will be featured at the event, titled Delirium Descent. 

Clothing will be designed by House of Frog, shoes by Eidia Lush, hair by BANG! Salon , and makeup by Meghan Sullivan

All proceeds will benefit NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Health).  There will be a $5 cover + $5 donation for the charity. 

Order your own Total Custom Designed shoes after the show to get 40% off.  This will be a full blown theatrical performance so come early and get a good seat.  Hope to see you all there!

Decade Fashion: 1900s

By Danielle Blasko 

In hard economic times like today, when nearly everyone is faced with stretching the dollar to its limits, it is tough to imagine a period when women needed different dresses for every occasion. And “occasion” in this period, is presumed to mean morning, afternoon, and evening. What a woman wore in the 1900s was mostly dictated by the formality of her visits! Like I said, it is tough to imagine!

 

But just for the moment, let us escape to a simpler, more complex decade of fashion that was ruled by social custom and the commitment to uphold a certain degree of fashion sensibility. The decade that gave rise to Parisian haute couture!

 

Due to the emphasis on achieving the S-curve silhouette (or the hourglass shape first made populate in the 1830s), custom design was essential to everyday living in the 1900s. Not only were tailor-made dresses imperative; cobblers were still responsible for making a good portion of the shoes produced, even though factories were beginning to grow in popularity.

 

This is a far cry from the Capitalistic, mass-manufactured society we are consumed by today. Fortunately, there are companies (like Eidia Lush) that still care about the individual and achieving the “perfect fit.”

 

To order a pair of Eidia Lush custom design pumps (or even more so, to order a pair of custom design shoes from our hot new 'Sugar N Spice' E.L. Couture Collection) is to honor a timeless tradition that saw its heyday in the 1900s. Not an easy feat in today’s technology-ruled times!

 

You could even take your tribute to 1900s decade fashion a step further and rock your own adaptation of Edwardian Era style.  You can order my 1900s inspired design, "Edwardian Era Throwback".  Or if you prefer a ballet flat, even more reminiscent of 1900s fashion, check out the Evelyn style, Prestige pattern in our E.L. Couture Sugar Collection.

Women's Feet Are Getting Bigger!

By Danielle Blasko

 

Currently, the average size shoe for a woman is size 6 but just five years ago the average woman wore a size 5. Further, sales research in 2009 showed that the sale of ladies’ size 9 shoes increased by 23 percent and sales of size 6 shoes rose 17 percent, proving that women’s feet on average are growing.

 

Basing their stock on averages (and demands), most companies only carry the range of “standard shoe sizes:” sizes 5 through 9.  However, faced with changing statistics, shoe companies are being forced to reconsider the definition of standard sizes. More shoemakers are starting to carry size 10s in all styles in order to meet the demands of the evolving feet of women. 

 

Eidia Lush is at the forefront of the progressive companies that are carrying size 10 heels in all styles. As demands increase and the company is able to manufacture shoe parts, we will continue to expand the selection of available sizes to meet the needs of all Eidia Lush Girls.  

 

And for you lovely ladies who just don’t fit the mold, we want you to know that Eidia Lush has not forgotten about you! If you have a larger (or smaller) or wider shoe size than we are presently able to offer as a permanent option, we offer Total Custom Design and Special Requests services that allow you to re-design your own shoe Eidia Lush custom design style!

Fashion Goes Green

By Danielle Blasko

Concern for the environment is no longer reserved for Earth Day: “going green” is all the rage. People worldwide are doing their part to reduce ecological, or carbon footprints by taking steps toward consciously living greener lives.

As is usually the case, fashion has embraced, and is aiding the advancement of the newest global trend: greenness is all over the runway and the highlight of many top fashion magazines. However, the task of greening one’s wardrobe is not quite as user-friendly as say greening one’s cleaning products.

There are plenty of eco-friendly clothing and accessory lines available, such as those that are made from recycled and organic materials, and by all means you should be aware of these options in taking baby steps toward going green.

The key to truly being an eco-conscious fashionista, though, lies more in those 3 R’s of the waste management hierarchy that many of us first learned in elementary school lesson plans: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The 3 R’s have not generally been applied to discussions on greening wardrobes but conceptually it is the most logical model to follow.

Every year the average American disposes of approximately 68 pounds of clothing and textiles. I can’t think of a better way to take a leap into greening a wardrobe than buying a custom-designed pair of shoes. The likelihood of a woman discarding a pair of shoes that she was responsible for designing is slim, while the likelihood that she will get the maximum usage out of the product is high.

Though Eidia Lush may not market itself as a “green” shoe company, they most certainly fall into the category of eco-fashion, as all of their shoes are hand-selected from a local supplier, and the fabric for each pair is individually stitched and glued without any use of assembly lines.

Custom-designed fashion reduces, as supplies are not wasted through mass-production. Just by investing in a pair of Eidia Lush pumps, you are taking a stride in being eco-conscious and supporting an eco-friendly mode of production.

To take your greenness to the next level of the hierarchy, all you have to do is wear your pumps over and over, or in other words reuse them. When finally the time comes to retire your beloved shoes, you can recycle them in the form of a donation to a local clothing charity of your choice, e.g. Goodwill or Salvation Army. Then, (and this is the best part) start over with a blank shoe canvas for your newest creative fashion endeavor and go green all over!

STAND OUT FROM THE COMPETITION

By Danielle Blasko

As the economy slowly begins its pivot toward renewed growth and eventual stability, more and more workers will be strutting their way back into the workplace. In early 2009, women held approximately 49 percent of the job slots in the U.S., with the business world coming as close as it's ever been to achieving equality, and as result of the recession, no less.

As Kelly LaVaute so appropriately pointed out in her August el blog post, "Solemates", despite a global economy in shambles women continue to buy shoes. Refusing to let the shoe industry suffer at the merciless hands of a brutal economic downturn, women have sent a clear and powerful message out into the world. We will not give up on the healing power of shoes!

As workers return to the world of business, or battle it out to retain their current positions, it is of utmost importance to differentiate oneself from the competition. What better way to set you apart from your competitors then a brand new, custom designed pair of Eidia Lush pumps?

Let us send yet another message, Ladies: We are healed, and we are heeled! Fashionistas: prepare to pump your fists (or feet) for the sake of equality! Together, Eidia Lush girls, we can take over the world one high-heeled step at a time.

EIDIALUSH.COM — NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS

The time has come to turn some heads … with shoes designed by you!

The waiting is over. EidiaLush.com has officially arrived on the scene and we promise you that the shoe business will never be the same.


At Eidia Lush, we’re all about you. Your style, your personality, your choice. With dozens of styles and patterns to choose from, you’ll be sure to create a one-of-a-kind shoe masterpiece that will command attention wherever you go.

 
Our step-by-step design process at EidiaLush.com makes it easy unleash your inner shoe artist. So what are you waiting for? Let the shoe designing begin!

Solemates

By Kelly LaVaute

It's the closest thing I've ever felt to love at first sight. There's a moment, a connection, a thought....can I take them home with me tonight? I could, but it's oh so wrong. Will I regret it in the morning? Do I really want to be that girl?

Relax, Mom. They're shoes, not the 22-year-old Brazilian with the shiny 6-pack abs. I'll never be *that* girl.

Haven't you been there? Innocently strutting through the mall, aiming for a new pair of jeans and then you wake up and find yourself drowning in shoe boxes with a very annoyed Macy's clerk. Or incessantly refreshing the UPS website to check the tracking for the new pair of pumps, count down the moments 'til 5 and race home to find that familiar-shaped package on your front door and even though your bladder may burst, the bathroom can only come after you've modeled the new kicks for the cat. You like Mommy's new shoes, right? RIGHT?!

My worst days can be remedied with a 4-inch heel or metallic wedge. And it seems I'm not alone -  while people all over the world are tightening their belts, their shoes are not suffering. From the Detroit Free Press:

While we're spending less overall, 28% of women -- 8% more than in 2007 -- ranked shoes as the thing on which they are most likely to splurge.

In real life terms? The money that I do have isn't intended for my 401k, it's earmarked for a new pair of ankle boots. Now that's an investment I can believe in.

And while companies go bankrupt and sales falter in nearly every business category imaginable, my stilettos are saving the day:

Grocery stores continued to see strong growth on a year ago, while the only other sector to improve was footwear and leather, with a balance of plus 64%.

- Press Association, July 28, 2009

Now if only my favorite grocer could stock their freezer cases with ballet flats, we could really turn this recession around. Because really, I could stand to skip a meal but I don't think I'll be able to pass up that adorable flat with the patent leather detail. Naughty, naughty girl.