When I first heard about the collaboration between Vivienne Westwood and Brazilian brand Melissa, I wasn’t all that interested. Sure, Dame Viv is one of my favourite designers, but Melissa are famous for making plastic shoes, and plastic shoes? Well, they somehow just didn’t appeal, especially not at designer prices.
Then I saw these:
And just like that, my love affair with the Vivienne Westwood/Melissa line begun.
Vivienne Westwood Melissa Shoes: Lady Dragon style
The very first shoes to be released as part of the Vivienne Westwood for Melissa collection were the “Lady Dragon” style shown above, and they were initially available in four different colours:
It took me until July 2009 to order my first pair of Vivienne Westwood/Melissa shoes (in the peach/black colourway shown at the top of the page), but when they arrived, I was sadly disappointed: not only were the shoes, which I’d ordered in my regular size, much too big for me, in real life, the colour was also much more orange than it looked in the photos I’d seen. Heartbroken, I sent them back, and tried to think no more about them.
My efforts were to be in vain, though, because in November of that year, Vivienne Westwood and Melissa released the Lady Dragon 2:
Vivienne Westwood/Melissa Shoes: Lady Dragon 2
My disappointment with the original Lady Dragons had put me off buying a pair, but then, in summer of 2010, I discovered the gold version on sale in Saks. I picked up a pair in the size down from my regular size, and they fit. Of course, I had to buy them:
My love for Vivienne Westwood/Melissa wasn’t yet over, though, because that same year, the brand introduced the Lady Dragon Cherry shoes:
Vivienne Westwood/Melissa Lady Dragon Cherry Shoes:
I loved them beyond all reason. And, in a stroke of luck I still can’t quite believe, that summer I was fortune enough to be sent my very own pair, by shoe store Shudoo:
Some observations about Vivienne Westwood/Melissa shoes:
1. I find that they run very large: I’ve had to go down a size in both of the pairs I own, and I know a few people who’ve done the same. Equally, though, I know some people who find that their regular size fits perfectly in these, so, as everyone’s feet are different, you really want to try them on if possible before ordering a pair.
2. They smell like bubblegum. I love this about them, my husband hates it. Ah, well…
3. No, they don’t make your feet sweat. This is probably the question I’m asked most often: because the shoes are made of plastic, a lot of people worry that they’ll be a complete sweat factory. Happily, that isn’t the case: the open toe and slingback means a lot of air gets to your foot, so you don’t have to worry about sweating.
4. Comfort. Hmm. I always hesitate to advise people about the comfort or otherwise of shoes, because as I mentioned above, everyone has differently shaped feet, different levels of comfort, and different tolerance for various types of styles. That said, the only real issue I have with these shoes is the peep toe, which is very small, and can tend to rub a little after a while.
meltem
i want cherry model melissa, how can i buy? white colour