Rusty Lopez puts its best foot forward at the 14th Philippine Fashion Week

By Sai

Rusty Lopez: Women of Strength

I got the chance to cover this event by accident and I'm happy I was there to witness one of the fashion shows at the 14th Philippine Fashion Week. Rusty Lopez shoes have this image at the back of my head as "very stiff." Their designs are very corporate. Since yuppies are invading the corporate scene, I'm happy that Rusty Lopez finally made their designs very fashionable and wearable not only at the office but at parties too! The Rusty Lopez Holiday-Summer Shoe Collections are composed mostly of gladiator and boot-styled shoes (for women) and pointy-corporate shoes (for men). I like the new flavor they brought in their designs plus their presentation at the PFW rocks! It's very relaxed yet sophisticated! Kudos to Rusty Lopez! I think this new excitement for the upcoming Rusty Lopez shoes came from Nicole Lopez, Lolito and Lily Lopez' daughter. Check out their press release below:

Rusty Lopez is expanding its product line by introducing more hip and up-to-the-minute footwear in addition to its selection of classic shoes that people have come to have through the years.

And for the first time in its 33-year-history, Rusty Lopez is joining other fashion-forward brands as it debuts its Holiday 2010 and Summer 2011 Collections at the much-celebrated Philippine Fashion Week on October 29, 2010 at the SM Mall of Asia.

A STEP BACK

Through the years, Rusty Lopez has provided the market with quality and affordable footwear for every member of the family and has steered its shoe designs towards the casual, formal, athletic, outdoor and corporate styles. To date, it holds one of the biggest market shares within the local shoe industry.

Lolito Lopez and wife Lily effectively positioned Rusty Lopez as the brand name that rivaled the best of what the local shoe industry had to offr. To date, it has some 2,000 employees from its Marikina factory to its more than 200 stores nationwide. The company's dynamic growth is simultaneously happening around the country. In fact, it recently launched a branch in Kalibo, Aklan and by Novermber this year, the flagship store in Robinsons Galleria will open its doors to all "shoe-paholics."

To be in step with the times, the couple's 23-year-old daughter, Nicole Lopez, is helping infuse the words "fun" and "frills" to the brand's new lines. Thus, apart from the basic black shoes, pumps and grey step-ins, Rusty Lopez now has shoe styles and colors that are chic, classy and current. This expands their market, reaching out to young fashionistas.

A STEP INTO THE MOMENT

Rusty Lopez is ready to step out into the limelight and straight to the catwalk by joining the 14th Philippine Fashion Week for the first time. During this event, it will unveil a hundred pairs of shoes - its newest pieces with innovative designs.

Rusty Lopez: Untamed Woman

"We created a new line of stylish shoes, without veering away from the standards Rusty Lopez has always been known for - quality footwear at affordable prices. We still have our classic and basic styles that are very popular," says Mr. Lopez. The company sees to it that style meets comfort in their new line. High-heeled pumps and stilletos may not normally be known for being easy on a woman's feet, but following the standards of Rusty Lopez, they saw to it that this was possible.

The theme of the show and the collections, billed "Men of Mystery and Women of Strength," was based on the power attraction, simplicity, elegance, poise and success.

Rusty Lopez's Holiday Collection includes glamorous, Christmas celebration-worthy shoes for men in basic black and gray. The Summer Collection, on the other hand, has sandals, loafers, topsiders and other pieces in different color palettes.

The Women of Strength Collection showcases the power of a woman. There are bejeweled booties, studded stilettos, high-cut sandals for those who love to work hard and party harder. These are the kind of women who have a sense of power, are intelligent and classy. Another segment, inspired by Robert Palmer's song, Addicted to Love, is called Woman in Love. This suggests that even in simple, basic footwear, women can show off their innate charm and charisma. Pleated cocktail dresses are best worn with pumps, doll shoes and ballet flats that are accessorized with dainty ruffles and bows in the Women of Intrigue Collection. Like their male counterpart, these types of women are sharp, driven, have a sense of style and are clever in their craft. Untamed Woman's edgy-cultural and ethnic-looking footwear selection ranges from beaded sandals to gladiator-type shoes that are great when worn with bondage dresses inspired by the 70s cocobanana vibe.

Rusty Lopez: Men of Ivy League

Men of Mystery, meanwhile, focuses on working leather shoes in patent styles. Models walk the wild side wearing shoes with animal prints. Men will look good, strong and eye-catching but have a sense of mystery-truly, the kind of men women desire. Remember JFK? Rusty Lopez salutes Men of the Ivy League with topsiders, boat shoes, sandals and sporty summer pairs for men who are smart, decent and popular but never boastful. These men are educated, sophisticated and refined. The preppy collection showcases "comfort shoes" to emphasize men who are comfortable with their kind of life in their kind of world.

The shoes featured in the show suggest that, indeed, men and women of today are in part defined by the style, design and quality of their footwear. It also brings to light that while Rusty Lopez continues to embrace its basic, traditional styles, it takes on another challenge, evolving into a brand with a younger, more fashion-forward vibe.

A STEP FORWARD

"We are proud to be part of the Philippine Fashion Week," says Nicole who is the Merchandising Officer of the Rusty Lopez Group of Companies. "Now that we have enhanced our line wit styles and designs that are chic, classy and current, we can say that Rusty Lopez is in step with the times and is walking a new, exciting direction."