Much like many other fields, in fashion, finding a niche that isn’t being addressed, is as important to the success of a project as is the way in which one addresses that niche.  And with her capsule collection of what she has dubbed Cocktail Slippers, Kevyn Wynn has not just identified such a niche, but has addressed it with grace and flair.

As the old adage goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention” – and this holds true for Ms. Wynn’s creations.  As an active mother of three who enjoys swapping-out her shoes for some comfy house slippers when entering her home; Kevyn longed “to feel like a princess in my palace, rather than the old lady who lived in the shoe.”

Unfortunately, her slippers (most notably, a pair she adored by Amy Jo Gladstone) had been worn to the point of being “ragged” – yet, when she took her kids to Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s during the late summer months, in Santa Monica; she was only able to find UGGs (and, let’s face it – while comfortable, they aren’t really appropriate for undertaking anything remotely glamorous, and in California in August, tend to get a bit warm).

So, Kevyn called a friend who’d been providing the robes and slippers for the guests of Wynn Resorts.  Upon seeing the designs Kevyn had sketched-out, she not only encouraged Kevyn to make them – because not only had Kevyn found that unaddressed niche, but had some really lovely and well-conceived ideas – but also introduced Kevyn to Amy Berkowitz, a Florida-based shoe-design guru, who immediately set-out to mentor Kevyn on the intricacies of designing shoes.

After her apprenticeship, it was off to New York, where they found a man who turned Kevyn’s designs into prototypes.  Then from here, it was a ‘round-the-world search for the right factory to produce the slippers.  They settled on a fourth-generation shoe maker, in Naples, Italy; who – having never made slippers before, promptly dubbed Kevyn the “Slipper Queen” (which she rather adored).

Being a size 10, Kevyn was quick to realize that she was not a great fit-model for her slippers, so her daughter (a size 6) was quick to fill the role.  Also, with the honesty imbued in children of a certain age, she was able to look at her mother and say “That pinches,” or “My heel slides off,” or simply “That’s ugly, Mom,” and get right to the point in a way someone else might not have been as comfortable expressing.  

An incredible amount of thought went into each design, because Kevyn didn't want to make fuzzy bedroom slippers, but rather the kind of elegant yet comfortable mules that might've been worn not just by CZ Guest, Babe Paley, or a a stylish hostess serving cocktails in a photo by Slim Aarons; but also for Kevyn's contemporaries who are as likely to be picking up the kids after lunch with friends, as to be racing home after a client presentation.

The fabrics and embellishments sourced, and the lasts molded; the slippers were produced – in seven styles, named for the women in her family, including the Zoe (denim with crystals on leather), the Gillian (basically the Zoe, in black), the Elaine (a sophisticated classic in taupe with pearl and crystal), the Marlowe (think Myrna Loy mixing martinis in The Thin Man), the Leela (embroidered roses and vines, on black velvet), the Claire (snowflake elegance), and the Pascal (a gorgeous white Neapolitan fabric woven-through with silver thread).

Last night, at Wynn Collection at Wynn Las Vegas, Kevyn unveiled the collection, and it went over like gangbusters!  I was delighted to have been asked to provide the music for the evening’s soiree (because one should always get the Jewish guy to do the Christmas music!), and could not have been more proud of Kevyn. 

Not only did she undertake to do something, and did it in an organic manner, that lead to a quality product; she did it not as a whim, but rather because it was something that she knew she wanted and also that she thought others might enjoy (and priced at between $275 and $295, there is a huge audience waiting to enjoy them).

I know most of us hate to admit when our parents are right (it kills me), but Kevyn wrapped-up her presentation by looking at her father, and thanking him for instilling into her the concept that you should “Do what you love, and the rest will follow.”

Look for Kevyn Wynn’s Cocktail Slippers at finer home stores, including Scandia Home and Mayfair House in Beverly Hills; Montage Resorts in Beverly Hills, CA, Deer Valley, UT, Laguna Beach, CA, and Palmetto Bluff, SC; and Thread Count in Miami; as well as Encore Home Store, Wynn Collection, and Wynn LVNV at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Resort - and online, at www.KevynWynn.com (of course).

Cocktail Slippers
Kevyn Wynn
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