As much as I love stomping around town in a killer pair of heels, I'd be happy to add a pair of Keller flats to my footwear rotation—Keller NY, that is. Leave it to the line's designer, girl-about-Brooklyn Kelly Clark, to create heel-free shoes with all the flair of a saucy pair of stilettos. Albeit in a much comfier package. Originally hailing from Philadelphia, the Fashion Institute of Technology graduate tried her hand at styling before launching her own label last year.

And while her current collection is only her second, Clark has a confidence and vision that takes many designers an entire career to achieve. Her precocious talent lies in her ability to apply feminine details to masculine shapes; a pair of '40s-inspired, leather jazz shoes—with cap toes and delicate laces—come in a demure shade of cream. (Think a sweeter, more grown-up version of the schoolboy flats that model Agyness Deyn favors.) A fold-over cuff on a pair of simple, brown booties reveals richly striped tan and cream leather inside. And Clark knows that woman cannot survive on footwear alone. Her casual, cotton smock dresses in shades of gray and ivory, a winning trench coat with a rounded collar, and high-waisted, cuffed shorts round out the lawn-party look.

Clark claims that her line reflects her New York lifestyle, but we can envision those cream-colored flats pounding the pavement in Milan or Paris, where women pull off the kind of androgynous chic that we Americans so admire but rarely attempt. We have but one request: if you pack a pair of Keller NY shoes for your next European vacation (or just wear them to brunch at Juliette), make sure to thank us when your picture is snapped by The Sartorialist as you're strolling down the cobblestone streets.

Keller NY is available at In God We Trust, 135 Wythe Avenue, (718) 388-2012.

- Lindsay Miller

Similar Topics:footwear, spring 2008

comments (0) : Send to a Friend : Subscribe

:  digg this :  del.icio.us! :