Modern-day Cinderella
NEW YORK — Don’t deny it. You’ve always wanted to be a modern-day Cinderella: to meet your Prince Charming, have him sweep you off your feet and yes, of course, live happily ever after.
While you’re on your own finding your Prince Charming, I do have something that will make your inner Cinderella squeal with delight — your very own slipper, except it’s not exactly glass. It’s plastic.
Your fairy godmother, Kartell, the innovative global powerhouse known as the purveyor of plastic wares in good taste, has teamed up with emerging Italian designer, .normaluisa to mark the brand’s first foray into fashion.
Glossy, waterproof, comfy, edgy and classic all at the same time, Kartell by .normaluisa’s ballet flats ooze Italian sprezzatura.
The collection, dubbed Glue Cinderellas, come in two-tone color ways: opaque/opaque or transparent/opaque or in solids of violet, green, black, white, neutral beige, red and crystalline.
A perfect substitute for unwieldy wellies, these flats are as portable as they are adorable. Holes in the back and in the arch serve as vents. The shoe itself is cut low, exposing serious toe cleavage.
A star-shaped heel will leave an imprint on any patch of earth you walk on — a subtle reminder of your stellar personality.
Kartell’s 30-year-old marketing and retail manager, Lorenza Luti, is the brains behind the collection. Passionate about fashion and accessories, she tapped .normaluisa, a fledgling all-Italian label, to be her first collaborator.
“For me, Kartell is not merely a design company, but an authentic lifestyle brand,” Lorenza Luti says. “It has been the leading brand in experimentation with plastics for 60 years and has made transparency its trademark.
“Consequently, when I started to think about a range of shoes, it was natural to give the product our imprint. Joining forces with .normaluisa — a brand I have known and loved since its foundation — was an equally natural choice, for it shares chic, feminine and timeless style.”
.normaluisa adds: “For .normaluisa the future is yesterday. Kartell’s Glue Cinderella shoes have enabled us to project the fairy tale of Cinderella into tomorrow, for all the Cinderellas of today.”
By dipping their toes in the trend pool of jelly shoes, Kartell has joined the ranks of Grendha, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Menghi, and can endeavor to eclipse the popularity of Melissa, the mother of all plastic-injected footwear.
Claudio Luti, owner and president of Kartell says that this is just the beginning, with accessories and watches being carefully considered.
Some may posit that at $135 a pair, it’s a pretty penny to pay for plastic. Assert that like Kartell’s famous Philippe Starck-designed Louis Ghost Chair, it’s not just plastic — it’s art.
