At Lane Crawford, Understated Is the New Fashion Statement

Under-the-radar footwear brands are getting a moment to shine this fall.

Hong Kong-based retailer Lane Crawford has unveiled a special space this month that is dedicated to small, progressive design houses that embrace an understated aesthetic.

The space, dubbed Studio, highlights a range of footwear and accessories labels from around the globe, including Creatures of Comfort, Dorateymur, Gray Matters, Mercedes Castillo, Tibi and Trademark.

Many of the footwear styles featured in the Studio exude a chic, minimalist vibe with architectural constructions.

Take, for instance, this kitten-heel mule from Gray Matters with a folded fan effect. It is priced at HK$4,450 (or $569 at current exchange).

Gray Matters designer Sylvia Avanzi has said that to craft her sculptural creations, she takes inspiration from her native Italy and fuses those ideas with the vibrancy of her adopted home of New York.

Another architectural treasure available at Lane Crawford is this mixed-material boot from Mercedes Castillo, retailing for HK$3,990 (or $510).

In an interview with Footwear News this year, Castillo said of her brand, “[It] connects with how people want to dress today. Its essence is about creativity, imagination, inspiration and optimism.”

Lane Crawford’s Studio space also taps into the current desire for luxurious comfort in footwear, with oh-so-walkable midi heels and slip-on mules, but executed in sumptuous materials and textures.

One fine example is the pony hair sandals and loafers from the Alumnae brand, designed by Kari Sigerson (formerly of Sigerson Morrison) and Eliza Axelson-Chidsey. And for the ultimate in easy-to-wear shoes, look no further than Trademark’s luxurious brocade slippers.