This year, Fashion Week solidified the fact that the democratization of an elitist industry has arrived. First, Vogue magazine staged the largest public fashion show in New York City history, with over 170 models parading brands like Gap and Payless along with Chanel, Balenciaga and Prada outside of Lincoln Center. Then came Fashion’s Night Out: a retail block party that spread beyond the confines of Manhattan’s shopping districts to 300 cities worldwide.
As a prelude to the democratizing fashion festivities in New York this week, designer Isabel Toledo launched her first line with Payless ShoeSource on Sept. 7, bringing a new aesthetic to strip malls across America.
Isabel Toledo for Payless includes seven eye-catching styles ranging from a stiletto-heeled boot wrapped in faux fur to clunky shoes styled after Scottish Ghillies. Snagging one of these artistic pairs won’t break the bank account either: The shoes range in price from $34.99 to $59.99.
The prices of her goods have been diluted for this line, but her brand’s inventive, avant-garde aesthetic has not been lost in translation.
“These shoes have a strong graphical tone, are fresh new essentials for every woman’s fall closet, and are an affordable way to make a strong statement from the ground up,” Toledo told The Associated Press.