Rando Report: Mesh Toe Shoes, Foul-Chic Pit Bags, Uzbekistan Fashion, and More
The ultimate swimwear I wear out of the pool, etc.
Today on NEVERWORNS…Rando Report happenings that I’ve been wanting to write about. Also, two deep dives coming at you soon and a NEVERWORNS video…
This Mesh Ballet Toe Shoe
Is this that mesh flat everyone is talking about? No, but they should be! I was looking up toe shoes recently because I want the raw-dog sensation of walking outside barefoot without contracting MRSA. I feel like my feet are…stiff, and I want to spread those little piggies. So, I did some searching, and I found these anti-sex Vibram hooves, which disgust me—and yet, attract me. Tell me to page Freud all you want, but if you know me, loving raunchy shoes isn’t new. I’ve always believed that wearing a savagely heinous shoe leads to the most unbridled, honest expressions of oneself. In other words, when you own your nasty with really fugly footwear, it’s a heel-first vehicle to release inhibations. Try my theory! Anyway…I wrote about wearing phalangeal-forward heels from Balenciaga years ago, but this pavement-gripping FiveFingers version feels less offensive. Or are they? Whatever. Alaïa lovers, eat your hearts out.
Uzbekistan…the Next Fashion Hot Spot
I have had my eye on Uzbekistan as an emerging fashion hub for a bit but a few recent happenings prompted me to write about the Central Asian country. First, Korean-Uzbek designer Jenia Kim held a show with LVMH-shortlisted Ukrainian designer Anton Belinsky last month in Tashkent. Kim is part of the Koryo-Saram population, ethnic Koreans who were deported from Soviet mainland Russia to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan by Stalin in 1937. (Stalin expelled numerous other ethnic groups, as well, including Crimean Tatars). There are hints of Koryo-Saram influence throughout the region: Anyone who has chowed down on Russian food has most likely had Koreiskaya morkovka aka Korean carrot salad. Also, late Soviet rocker Viktor Tsoi of Kino was part of Koryo-Saram!
Back to Kim: I first met Kim roughly ten years ago in a Moscow showroom and later covered her. The designer has always celebrated her heritage through her work. She’s taken hoodies and adorned the hoods with chandelier beading to echo Uzbek traditional dress; crafted organza sacks wtih a trompe l’oeil print of swimming eels to mimic the plastic paketi at the Tashkent food bazaars; and designed capri pants with laser floral cut-outs lifted from the print on a traditional Uzbek mattress. There are more commercial hits, too, like a floss-thin tank with her signature floral cut-outs or her Yin tank top that has a saucy asymmetrical hem for an askew slice of midriff.
I was supposed to cover the show in Tashkent, but I had visa issues. (Kim’s team flew in a handful of fashion editors. I’m still kicking myself that I couldn’t make it.) From what I have read from the press release and the images that I’ve seen, the collection was titled “Tightrope of Friendship” and circus-themed. The press release had the quote “themes of balance and poetically reconsider the very concept of home,” which is a poignant line, especially when you look at both designers’s history. Belinsky is from Ukraine, which is at war with Russia, and Kim has aforementioned fragmented roots. There’s a tender connection between the duo. As for the collection itself, Belinsky’s designs were certainly present with his signature graphics splashed on silky button-downs, while Kim’s cut outs dotted airy trousers.
There’s more Uzbek news, too! Uzbekistan quietly launched Elle Uzbekistan (O’Zbekiston) in June. Fun fact: I didn’t find this out from the fashion verse, but rather a Central Asian politics blog. The website’s operating languages are Russian, Uzbek, and English. The front page’s holding image shows a slideshow of models in traditional Uzbek clothes posing among the country’s architecture.
As expected, there are standard articles on the site that could exist anywhere in the world: “Flip Flops: not just for the beach” and “Tenniscore: A stylish return to big sports”. However, I do love it when there is homegrown pride. There’s an article titled “3 accessory brands using national fabrics” that includes a bag from Art and Artisans, a brand that created a toddler-sized coin purse complete with a massive chain strap. The handbag is similar to a funhouse accessory that you’d see at Vaquera or Puppets & Puppets. Though, I can’t imagine anyone except for an Uzbek brand crafting their bags out of what is “alo bahmal,” their handmade velvet with a deep, deep sheen.
Beyond fashion, initiatives are underway to develop the Uzbek economy. A massive railway that connects with China is opening up. (After all, Uzbekistan is part of the OG Silk Road, which we read about in middle school!) There’s a fat Saudi-backed mall called Tashkent City Mall with a Diesel, Zara, and a Massimo Dutti. Notably, tourism is up. During former President Islam Karimov’s 27-year rule (!), there was zilch for tourism. (PS. The dictator’s daughter Gulnara is a fashion criminal—and more). Now, the country’s vacation economy is booming. Sure, much of the current tourism can be chalked up to the influx of visitors from neighboring visa-free countries like Russia and Kazakhstan. Regardless, I predict the draw to this Central Asian country will eventually spread beyond the region. The Jenia Kim x Anton Belinskiy and the gaggle of fashion people who attended their show is an example of just that!
When I think about post-Soviet Union countries that have had a similar industry boom over the last few years, Ukraine always comes to mind. After the Maidan Revolution in 2014, there was a rise in homegrown pride—and when a country is very much in the news, for better or worse, there are fresh eyes on it. That attention often trickles into the fashion world. I specifically remember Vita Kin was reinterpreting embroidered vyshyvankas, which ended up on fashion’s favorite street style girls, while outerwear brand Ienki Ienki refashioned the traditional keptar vest of the Carpathian Hutsuls. The exploration of one’s history, especially in Ukraine’s mid-2010s case, makes sense: After years and years of cultural suppression and then finally the irrepressible urge to reconnect with—and express—one’s roots? The effect is a recipe for rich clothes that tap into the gut of a nation. You get a slice of the vibrant, hand-sewn picture.
Side note: If you get your shoes fixed in New York, you might already know some Uzbeks! Most of the cobblers in New York are often lumped in with Russians, but they are Bukharians, a close-knit group of Jews who hail from the ancient city of Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Many specialize in the shoe repair trade and they’ve been in the business for generations. My cobblers, Alex and Alex, are two Bukharians who I visit too often…I trust them with my soles—and soul! They also give good life advice.
Nasty Chic Pit Bags
I am obsessed with the idea of carrying absolutely nothing, as if I have no responsibilities, so I love tiny Pit Bags. I call them this rancid name in lieu of the chic pochette because I like to hike the bags right up to my armpit and squeeze them, like a stress ball for my body. There’s some sort of mind-body security that comes with wearing them. And they are fun! The bags, the size of an extended wallet, are very much The Sweetest Thing (2002), featuring Cameron Diaz bopping around San Francisco in misdemeanor-deserving low-rise jeans. Or a breezy Lauryn Hill running down the New York street in “Everything is Everything” (1998).
I first mentioned the Pit Bag term in the Kate Spade x UO collaboration a few weeks ago. (I wear the black version constantly). The brand was smart in choosing this specific bag as the re-issue because Pit Bags never go out of style. Pit Bags are snug, secure, and made for an unbothered, hands-free life. There are millions of the short-strapped things out there, too. Right now, I am frothing at the mouth for an old-old Celine Macadam denim bag that sits right in that sweaty upper arm crevice.
The Best Swimsuit for In—and Out of the Pool
If you need a swimsuit, I highly recommend Sherris by Maayan Sherris, who just released a collection. Lots of black! I love! Classique. For some background, Sherris has made a career out of creating swimsuits, first modeling them on actual university swimmers for that aerodynamic oomph under the name Babes in Bathers, and has since expanded into actual clothing, including knitwear. While she is still most well-known for her swimwear, a lot of Sherris fans wear the pieces out of the pool, like the tankinis, which are perfect for sweating in. She also makes a mean pant that I swear holds up the ass like Atlas holding up the world. Indestructible. The lettuce seams trace the body beautifully, like you’re wearing a wave, and the stretchy fabric has a Kevlar corset tightness.
Speaking of a corset, her newest swimsuits have that whittled shape at the core to really hug the body. Note: I wore a suitcase-stuffable Sherris skirt set to a wedding last year. The top had a piece of fabric to tie around the throat, so I looked like some French coquette from the 1890s. Plus, not a wrinkle in sight! Anyway, if you’re in New York (or the tri-state area), I suggest you take a trip to the designer’s studio on the Upper West Side, where you can try them on. Just DM her to make an appointment. She will probably make you lunch, too.
The Gina Gershonissance
Gina Gershon just did a Criterion Collection drop-in. Writer
called it the “Gina Gershonissance”. I love to hear it. After all, I’m a die-hard Gershon fan…I had an out-of-body experience when she walked for Collina Strada spring 2024 with that alluring beefcake strut. She’s hot as a pouty Corky in the dyke noir film Bound (1996), a great bust-wielding seductress in campy Showgirls (1995), and a delicious power freak alongside Chloë Sevigny in Demonlover (2002). Still, her best role was playing Lenny Kravitz’s blinged-out, fame-addicted girlfriend in the music video “Again” (2000). You can read all about my deep feelings for Gershon in a piece I wrote for Cultured.
NEVERWORNS News
You heard it here first! The next episode of NEVERWORNS is with Batsheva Hay of Batsheva. Queen of the subversive frock. Fun fact: Did you know the designer was a corporate lawyer? You’ll learn more next week when you see me go through her wardrobe!
Watch NEVERWORNS here.
Loved this… and indeed all of your work. It’s always fresh, zingy and thoughtful.
Another great Neverworns edition. Loved learning a bit about Uzbekistan!