Who the F is… Aruna Seth?
Everyone knows who Valentino, or Armani, or Christian Louboutin is. Hell, people even know Manolo Blahnik now thanks to Sex in the City! Everyone has a fashion opinion these days and everyone thinks they’re legit. Well they’re not. Kidding (kinda)! The mark of a true fashion lover then, is to love the obscure. Sure that sounds (and can be) pretentious, and this isn’t to say you should call the bum with paint-splattered shoes “a genius,” but you can try to seek out lesser known brands if you want to mark yourself as a trendsetter – instead of a trend follower.
One such brand that slipped into my radar recently was UK shoe designer, Aruna Seth. No stranger to the jet set, Seth has a designer pedigree to match her customer’s royal pedigree. Seth was literally raised around shoes and designing them was a natural step as her own father was a shoe factory mogul. Growing up as a child running down the aisles of the factory and poring over designs with her father, instilled in Seth a deep love for footwear. After a brief stint in investment banking and seeing a gap in the market for wearable luxury shoes, Seth decided to step out on her own and create the shoes she’d want to wear herself.
Her namesake collection of heels, flats, bridal, and boots epitomizes the aesthetic of the designer herself. Google this woman and you will find countless pictures of a glamourously elegant woman with luxurious brunette locks and a statuesque figure. Her shoes are fit to match being made of top of the line Italian leathers, satins, and Swarovski everything. Seth shoes are made for crystal lovers and are prominently featured in the brand’s characteristic butterfly motif, which was inspired by a pair of Ferragamo’s Seth’s mother owned when she was a child.
Seth’s fans can be counted from celebrities like Sofia Bush all the way to royalty! Apparently Kate Middleton and her sister Pippa were shipped several pairs for the royal nuptials earlier last year, but sadly, only Pippa stepped out in the gorgeous heels.
While quite generous with the bling, Seth knows when to draw back. Somehow, her crystal Swarovski butterflies are intricate, not ornate, and elegant, not tacky. Designing with longevity in mind, the silhouettes and heel heights are classically proportioned. The edgiest shoe in the collection might be the Carly Black Nappa Studded wedges, which feature a spine of gold studs. Even with these wedges though, there is attention to detail with the alternating circular and square studs.
Obviously, getting such luxury and handcrafted craftsmanship comes at a price and Seth’s shoes seem to sell around 600. Certainly not something I’ll be strutting around in anytime soon, but then again eating ramen for a couple months to afford these wouldn’t be so bad would it?
