Chloe Gosselin Spring 2016: Beautiful poison

Inspired by Nevada’s Valley of Fire & Rainbow Mountains, as well as China’s Zhangye landforms, Chloe Gosselin introduces us to beautifully handmade shoes in shades of pink, red, brown, blue and green with unusual, thoughtful details for Spring 2016. The vertiginous Hyacinth t-strap in blue snakeskin and metallic pink features a neat triplet of metallic pink leather bands at the back of the ankle to mimic the cage detail near the front, whereas the Iris features a corset-like tie in the back of its bold ankle bracelet.

Shoe designer Chloe Gosselin with the 4” Larkspur heel, her favorite for Spring 2016. (photo by Megan Lee / Meniscus Magazine)

Classic silhouettes in different color combinations are also re-introduced, as well as a few new styles, notably the distinctive 4” Larkspur heel (Gosselin’s favorite for the season) in almond green karung and blue suede or in all-black suede, and the Calico models in black or red suede.

For those of us less likely to wear heels that bring us closer to heaven, Gosselin keeps us on Earth with her elegant open-toed flat, the Cardinal; the new and practical Adenium in metallic pink and black with what looks to be a 2-3” heel; the chunky, 3.9” high-heel Caladium featuring a triplet of ankle closures in vibrant purple water snake and nude; and Caladium’s simpler twin with one ankle closure, the Aconite, in black and green/red snakeskin. The simply cut, no less forgettable brogue, Moonseed, is brought back in rose gold and mesh.

Earlier in the week, Gosselin premiered a two-and-a-half-minute fashion film, featuring a woman (Elise Crombez) wearing the Bryonia and walking out of a home to a trunkful of more shoes while a news story on the poisoning of 11 victims is played (all of Gosselin’s shoes are named after poisonous flowers). The film closes with the riveting song “Datura,” performed by Tori Amos, who is Gosselin’s muse. Another signature of Gosselin’s, the Datura is a 4.5” pump with a saucy cut that was inspired by and named after Amos’ song. During her concert tours, Amos has worn the Datura, the Viper (part of Gosselin’s Fall/Winter 2015 collection), the Nightshade (Fall/Winter) and, most recently, the Hyacinth.

You can pre-order Gosselin’s beautiful Spring 2016 collection on Moda Operandi through Fri., Sep. 25: https://www.modaoperandi.com/chloe-gosselin-ss16

The short film featuring Tori Amos’ “Datura”: