Payless at Fashion Week: Abaete, Lela Rose and Alice+Olivia
Dear WOW Divas,
When Payless first decided they wanted to “democratize fashion” I was a little hesitant to take the leap with them. Could they make a fabulous shoe or bag for under $30? And 
would the designers they collaborate with really be able to transtale their high-end aesthetic for the masses without sacrificing quality? Now, I’d have to say, yes. Not a resounding yes - the bags aren’t fabulous and some of the shoes don’t rock my world - but, and it’s a big BUT, there are some truly good looking comfortable shoe options that I have no qualms wearing. To be fair, most of the clutches are also worth the bubkas. And, what’s great is Payless is building up it’s cred with the fashion world and making die-hard fashionistas such as myself take a second look. Now, the reason I’m musing on Payless is that their newest partnership (first launched with the current Spring 2008 season) is with Stacey Bendet of Alice+Olivia, a hip, contemporary brand available at Saks and Neiman Marcus, to name a few. Thursday, I’ll get a chance to preview the Alice+Olivia for Payless fall 2008 collection, so check back for my thoughts. For now, here’s an Abaete for Payless flat that I love. The Hayworth flat has a faux snake embossed print and just enough of heal. I like it in smokey grey because it will work really well with both denim and black pants. And, hello!! $30? You can’t go wrong.
Pamela Pekerman