DesignerShoes.com has paired up with two Massachusetts College of Art and Design Fashion major students to provide canvases for a new creative endeavor:  customizing dyeable satin and silk shoes to help accessorize their collections. This marks the beginning of this journey. Seniors Katey Reim of Ledyard, Connecticut, and Annika Benitz of Palo Alto, California agreed to take on this challenge. The goal is to style dyeable shoes to accentuate their collection, and see how far they can enhance them.

Reim and Benitz became aware of this project through their professor at MassArt, Sondra Grace. Katey’s inspiration comes from the graveyards of New Orleans and uses colorfully saturated teals and vibrant oranges. She has also taken extensive coursework in textiles, and intends to incorporate handmade fabrics into the designs, along with more sculptural embellishments.

The overall goal is to match the shoes to the outfits without being an obvious garment and footwear combination. Annika is designing a maternity collection that can be worn in any season, and has thoughtfully opted for no to low-heeled shoes for the expectant mother. She intends to experiment with appliqué and hand painted elements. The process is currently in the sketching and brainstorming phase; with the next few weeks being crucial in the development of their ideas as Katey and Annika wrap up their senior year.

Katey’s selections from left to right: Alberta by Dyeables, Sharmain by Touch Ups in black, Sharmain by Touch Ups in white, Emmy by Special Occasions, Gwen by Special Occasions

Annika’s selections from left to right: Honey by Touch Ups, Venus by Touch Ups, Shannon by Special Occasions Meredith by Diane Lynn