These Sparkly, Met Gala–Approved Heels Are on Sale for Under $50—Just in Time for the Holidays

 This year marked my third Met Gala as a Vogue staffer. In the days that followed, the question I was asked most was, unsurprisingly, “What did you wear?” Given the “Heavenly Bodies” theme, I decided on a sweet off-white ruffled silk dress by Simone Rocha, which touched on the religious art and fashion in the exhibition but still felt party-appropriate. That said, my shoes were an even more important decision, considering I would spend the whole night on my feet (we were there to work, after all). With small feet like mine, squeezing into a sample is not an option, so finding the right pair was a tall order: I needed shoes that would not only look presentable in a sea of well-dressed celebrities, but would also complement my romantic dress and withstand hours of walking, standing, and occasionally running. Since I purged every stiletto and pump from my closet after graduation, there was a serious void for evening shoes in my closet—one I needed to fill stat.

Despite the Met Gala’s reputation as “fashion’s biggest night out,” I can’t get behind the idea of wearing ill-fitting, sky-high heels that don’t match my style (even for just one evening). I learned this the hard way after my first Met, where my heels caused the kind of pain no pedicure massage could fix. For my second Met, my shoes were similarly brutal, though I was at least mentally prepared for the hours I would spend wearing them. This year, I decided to dedicate my time to searching for shoes that were truly comfortable—and would still fit the theme, of course.

It turns out, the answer was right in front of me—or rather, below me. The shoes I wore the most this spring were my kitten-heel slides from the glitzy yet accessible label Nina. Sound familiar? It’s the special-occasion accessories brand typically found at department stores, beloved by teenagers and young women who wear Nina shoes to homecoming, prom, and weddings. But I’ve discovered that the nearly 60-year-old New York brand is worth a second look. When I was searching high and low for the right Met Gala shoe in April, my infatuation with sexy, diamanté-encrusted (read: impractical) shoes was also growing—fast! It felt like every brand was tempting me with a pair, but none were as gentle on my wallet as Nina’s. I decided Nina’s three-inch Avalon sandals would satisfy my craving for sparkly shoes that didn’t cost a month’s rent, but they also became a top contender in my Met Gala search.

The first time I tried them, I impulsively went to the office without a backup flat or sneaker for my commute. Foolish, I know—but I didn’t regret it. My feet were pain-free the whole day. It was a win-win: The flash of sparkle on my toes dressed up my laid-back pinstriped suit and shoelace belt, and they gave me confidence as I walked to and from meetings. I couldn’t go anywhere without being stopped for a compliment. These shiny, strappy, not-quite stilettos were the comfy-glam heels I’d been looking for! There was no way they weren’t coming with me to the Met. On the big night, the rhinestones picked up the embellishments on my dress and barrettes, and they lightened up the look of my otherwise all-black sandals (which were fully visible under my ankle-length dress). The thicker heel and ankle straps provided the extra support I needed to get through the long night, too. Needless to say, I made it to the after-party!

That first Monday in May feels like ancient history at this point, but with the holiday season quickly approaching, we’re about to find ourselves in need of festive, comfortable party shoes once again. In fact, my Met Gala-approved sandals are still out there—and they’re on sale for under $50, rhinestones and all. Run, don’t walk—and in these, you actually can!—to get a head-start on your party look now.

A Former Cardi B Video Vixen Has Created the Most Instagrammable Loungewear Brand of the Year

What would loungewear look like if it was based on the wardrobe of flashy mobster girlfriends like Adriana La Cerva of The Sopranos—or perhaps her more elegant incarnation, Elvira Hancock from Scarface, or a loaded Beverly Hills housewife circa 1987? Hannah Park set out to answer this question when she created Oori Ott, a label based on all things “tastefully gaudy,” as she puts it. The designer and onetime video vixen—she appeared in the Petra Collins–directed Cardi B music video “Bartier Cardi”—created the label around what she herself wanted to wear but was not able to find. Her knit clothes have new-money touches like superhigh slits, body-encasing workout fits, and Lolita-ish ruffles: Think a striking bodysuit, dainty biker shorts with a frill trim, off-the-shoulder tops, and cheeky tank tops.

Park tapped photographer Mayan Toledano to shoot Oori Ott’s dreamy debut lookbook, which includes two Instagram favorites, model Leila Rahimi and actress Medalion Rahimi (not sisters!), posing in what Park describes as an “’80s postmodern dream house in Chino Hills with a sky-blue carpet, pink tiles, a tropical garden, a garage filled with vintage game machines, mannequins, a Chippendale’s stripper cutout, and so much more.” The loungewear fits the deliciously excessive mood, as in a set of plush drawstring pants with slits up to the hips and a turtleneck-meets-tunic with an inverted cutout that dips to the breastbone. The standout pieces come in a very double-tappable Princess Jasmine shade of blue.

Park began thinking about launching her label when she was living in New York and working in the commercial sphere of fashion. “I felt a little bit trapped and I wanted to start working on my own thing,” she says. “I was keeping my ideas in a box.” Eventually, Park moved back to her hometown of Los Angeles to help her mother launch a manufacturing company. During this time, she observed the downside of mass production. “I saw a lot of people struggling. All of the production was moving to China, and I also saw a lot of waste because people were overbuying,” she says. “Manufactures were selling their clothes for less than a cup of coffee. So, I started rethinking where and how I am going to make my clothes.” Now, Park, who is launching her label this week, sources from local manufacturers and is rolling out the collection in limited drops.

Park infused a bit of her Korean roots into the line as well. The name Oori Ott means “our clothes” in Korean, and touches on her relationship with quality. “I liked the idea of clothes being ‘ours,’ not ‘my’ clothes,” she says. “We usually don’t think about it, but it takes a lot of people and time to create the clothes we buy. If the quality is good, the clothes should last long enough for more than one person to wear.” This philosophy comes through in another heartwarming touch that brings the the brand full circle: Park styled the looks with her mother’s vintage oversize gold cross necklace for just the right amount of flashiness.

Kelela Puts a Fiery Twist on a Simple Summer Slip Dress

Kelela is clearly a master at wearing white. Over the past few months, the singer-songwriter has seemingly only been pictured in the achromatic color: She’s performed onstage in white stand-alone puffy sleeves, she’s worn a lace-up Maryam Nassir Zadeh dress while on her way from San Francisco to Seoul, and she’s gallivanted about in northern France in a creamy Lado Bokuchava dress with built-in sleeves. Even when she does add a pop of color to her wardrobe, as she did recently in Ireland in an Alex Mullins jumpsuit with a bright, almost tropical print, the fundamental color of the garment is—you guessed it—white.

With her latest Instagram photo, Kelela yet again subtly disrupts this all-white streak to great effect: She added some fiery flair to a classic white slip silhouette in Osaka, striking a pose in a breezy Priscavera dress embellished with orange flames that flowed upwards from the hem. Leave it to Kelela to give a typically sweet piece just a tad more bite.

Nicole Kidman Wears Fresh-Off-the-Runway Dior to Comic-Con

With the 2018 Comic-Con International festival in full swing, a slew of A-listers have made their way to San Diego, California, to debut their new films and participate in cast panel discussions. Nicole Kidman attended the festival yesterday for her new film, Aquaman, where she talked her new project alongside stars Jason Momoa and Amber Heard. But there was no cosplay or superhero-inspired garb here—unless Superwoman wears fresh-off-the-runway Dior looks.

For the appearance, Kidman wore a cotton tulle-embroidered dress with transparent sleeves from Christian Dior’s Cruise 2019 collection (Look 15), styled with a thick black leather belt. Designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, the Cruise collection was inspired by escaramuza, the Mexican sport featuring female rodeo riders, which resulted in voluminous silhouettes paired with structured jackets. Kidman kept the look relatively simple, wearing it exactly how it was shown on the runway, save for the traditional escaramuza hat. She did, however, add simple embellished sandals, also by Dior, to give the ensemble more of a red carpet feel.

Lizzo Shares an Exclusive Tour Photo Diary and Recap Video—And They’re Totally OTT

Supporting Haim on tour is a daunting task, particularly when it comes to one’s tour wardrobe—if Este, Danielle, and Alana are going to appear onstage in custom Chloé looks, how does one compete? But few artists are more poised to hold their own than Lizzo, whose sense of confidence radiates from both her music—her recent music video for “Truth Hurts” is a case in point—and her custom, curve-hugging looks, styled by the ever-boundary-pushing multi-hyphenate Brooke Candy.

Lizzo, fresh off her tour with Haim, has now shared an intimate photo diary that showcases her over-the-top sense of style and similarly outsize personality. From striking a pose in a bright blue lace-up bodysuit to hanging out backstage in sheer ruffled off-the-shoulder pieces, Lizzo clearly knows how to make a fashion statement. Her custom pink rhinestone-adorned bodysuit (designed by Seth Pratt) that she debuted last year makes a notable appearance as well. Take a look at her glamorous tour photo diary above, and watch her tour recap video below to learn more about how she stays present and empowered on the road—or if you just want to see all of those rhinestones in action.