Stilettos on Sloane Street

(LONDON) Platforms, stilettos, carved wedges, oh my! Surrounded by bounteous--and beauteous--heels, a fashionable crowd gathered at Giuseppe Zanotti's Sloane Street store to sip champagne, nibble the occasional canapé and peruse the footwear. "My brain wasn't ready to do a party before this," smiled Zanotti, whose store has been open for over a year. "You can't just throw a party," he continued. "I feel that before you have a party you need to relax--and get a customer base."
 
He certainly took care of the latter as Jasmine Guinness, Kelly Rowland, Natalia Vodianova and Justin Portman and Astrid Muñoz were just some of the few who came to show their support. "Zanotti shoes make me feel sexy," said Guinness. "I've been buying them for years! That fish scale shoe is amazing--it should be on a plinth in the middle of the store!"
 
Meanwhile, Destiny's Child Rowland was enjoying the selection of shoes--and the London atmosphere. Admiring a pair of knee-high black leather boots that fold over to reveal a brown leather underside, she explained her Zanotti fixation. "When I wear Zanotti, I feel sexy, confident and like I'm the only person wearing his shoes! And they're so comfortable--you're always surprised at how comfortable they are." In London recording her newest album, Rowland enthused about how much she loved the "London vibe." But that's not all. Her favorite way to spend time in the U.K.? "I love to eat!" the singer laughed. "I love to eat in London!"
JENNIFER BARTON