MANILA, Philippines - Hop aboard Aldo’s fun, frisky schooner, as it unveils a shoe and accessory collection fo summer. Shot with all manner of shipshape references, the collection is equal parts boat and showboat—able to go not just to the boardwalk, but to the catwalk as well, with a range of styles spanning eclectic tastes, all with the hallmarks of a well-made collection, something Aldo is known for.
Understated statement
Minimalism reigns on the runways, and so it is with the season’s footwear. Purist lines are given a twist with pure color blocking, and the visual texture created by highly contrasted materials. These include nubuck and calf leather, juxtaposed with performance materials that play on the side of sportif. Modular constructions and raw edges create solid statement shoes that make a grand entrance, despite being in neutral shades of white, beige, gray, black and brown. Reach for wedges, booties and blocked or asymmetric-upper shoes, as the perfect companion to the season’s off-duty “it” piece (incidentally spotted on models leaving runway shows and go-sees everywhere): the minimalist maxi T-shirt dress.
Hot to Globe trot
Found objects form the basis for this lived-in, magpie-style collection. Mimic the homespun wonder of global acquisition, with handcrafted, embroidered and tribal-printed pieces that satiate one’s wanderlust. Wrap-around wedges, fisherman’s sandals, scarf-tie gladiators, demi wedges and lace-up booties echo the spirit of travel, as do Baja-print backpacks, leather purses embossed with blooms, and tribal-geometric, wood-handled clutches. Pair them with flowy caftans and just-as-busily printed day dresses to channel Talitha Getty and other progenitors of the bohemian luxe movement.
That seventies show
In keeping with the biggest trend to hit New York, Paris and Milan this season, Aldo’s Seventies-inflected collection gives nostalgia a romantic spin, reimagining the decade’s motifs to make it work for now. First, the ubiquitous crochet technique—capping off platform slides and chunky wooden platforms that would look amazing with a body skimming knit dress. Cork also makes a comeback on high-heeled slingbacks, as do rope ties around wedges, for a slightly nautical spin that comes to the fore in the season’s lookbook. Striped canvas echoes this theme, while floral prints linger on the vintage vantage, with grandmother-staple doctor’s bags or chain-strap ladies’ handbags (with the occasional fabric-wrapped belt or full-patterned tight thrown in), along with polka-dotted totes for the beach.
Oh man!
Finally, the boys get in on the fun, with a collection of driving shoes in supple leather and suede, along with canvas slip-ons and denim or suede boat shoes in hues of oatmeal, red, olive, distressed blue, black, and brown. These make the perfect companions to a preppy outfit of a pique shirt paired with cropped shorts or khaki trousers. Indeed, whether it’s literally nautical, nostalgic-romantic, fabulously globe-trotting, or fiercely minimalist, this summer, Aldo has the goods to set anyone off onto the high seas. Bon voyage!
Shoe and accessory fans can dive into summer with Aldo, located at Bonifacio High Street, Greenbelt 5, Marquee Mall (sale shop), Power Plant Mall, Robinsons Place Manila, Robinsons Galleria, Shangri-la Plaza, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, The Block, SM North EDSA, The Northwing at SM City Cebu and TriNoma. Aldo accessories is located at Bonifacio High Street, Greenbelt 5, Robinsons Place Manila and TriNoma.