Happy Valentines Day

I just got back from Las Vegas where Footwear News Platform is going on! Trade shows are crazy and I'm glad to be home. We showed our lines and met with customers and I got to hang out with my favorite Beverly Hills Housewife, Adrienne Maloof :) Make sure you follow her on twitter for updates on her shoe line. 

Anyway, today is Valentines day so here are some V-day inspired images cause I love you!

Hope you had a good one!! 

XO, 

Celebrity Shoe Closets

Good morning! Is it already Monday again?? Well hopefully this post will be a little pick me up.

I LOVE me a good shoe closet ladies. Isn't it funny how that's actually a thing now? A closet specifically for shoes? Celebrities have made having one feel almost normal. I said almost.

The closets seem to keep getting more and more extravagant and I'd bet the pressure to outdo the other girls is intense! It's like a celebrity home staple now. I think it just proves that the relationship between a woman and her shoes is a powerful one. There's something truly special about just the right pair, or for these ladies and myself, the right hundred or so pairs ;)

Here's a roundup of some pretty awesome shoe closets...

Maybe the original? Joan Crawford

The QUEEN of shoes, Imelda Marcos has an entire shoe museum!

 My dear friend, Adrienne Maloof. (the photo doesn't do her collection justice)

 Christina Aguilera

Coco 

Khloe Kardashian

 Mariah Carey

Miley Cyrus 

 Nicky Hilton

 Paula Abdul

Jessica Alba 

Kimora Lee

Even the guys are into it! 

As for non celebrities, here are my past shoe closets...

This was back in 2004 when I was singe and had a condo with a ridiculous 300sq ft shoe closet all to myself. This started my obsession with shoe storage and I'm afraid I'll never be the same again.

And this is my old house. We didn't have a ton of extra room so we converted out office into an office/shoe room.

And later still, and still in the works- here's a little peek at my current shoe closet in my new apartment. Single again with just my shoes to keep me warm. ;) I kid. I have to make light of my pain... don't judge.

Who's closet is your favorite??




XOX,

New Year, New Blog?

Well no, not quite. But new me for sure! I haven't blogged in so long it feels so weird to be sitting here on my new couch in my new apartment... blogging. I miss you guys. I miss blogging.


Let's play catch up in case you're new here or it's been a while.


My life has changed in the following ways:
* I am now a 30 year old divorcee. Shitty.
* I moved out of my home (for obvious reasons) and am now renting an apartment a town over
* I lost about 10 lbs (yay) from stress and depression (boo) but am now getting into a happy place which means it's on it's way back on my body (BIG boo, but yay for being happy)
* I made my TV debut a few weeks back on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
* I am learning the joy of buying less expensive shoes. Less $ = more shoes! DUH!

My old shoe set up was pretty cool...

Packing my shoes wasn't as fun.

Ok, so.... Let's start fresh with a little about me.

Hi! I'm Celine Ouaknine. I grew up in Huntington Beach, California. I like to joke that I was born in high heels, and although that's obviously not true, I was born with the love of shoes in my blood.

My father (right), a former professional soccer player, came to the US from Morocco in the 70's. He started off as a shoe salesmen and had a natural talent for it. He worked his way up and eventually co-founded a company called French Follies. They made cute little espadrilles and ballet inspired shoes. From there he went on to Guess and Charles David footwear, where he eventually became President of the company and brought it to its height of popularity in the late 80's.

I was so lucky to grow up around shoes. I was the only girl in the 8th grade wearing the kick ass ankle boots Guess was famous for... and remember those Guess jellies?? Yep. I had those too. And at a whopping hundred bucks a pair, let's just say I made a lot of new friends when I came to school in those! That's the first time I felt the power of a hot shoe.

In the 90's, my dad left Charles David/Guess Footwear to pursue a new venture... Bebe Footwear! It was his first shoe license, and it was super successful. Soon after he started his own line with his namesake, Joey O. Since then his company has held the exclusive licenses for L.A.M.B. Footwear, Harajuku Lovers footwear, Charles Jourdan footwear, Laundry by Shelly Segal footwear, Antik Denim footwear, Playboy footwear, Zinc foowear, Hale Bob footwear, Badgley Mischka footwear, Mark and James by B.M. footwear, Betsey Johnson footwear, Betseyville footwear, Jill Stuart footwear, JLO Footwear, True Religion Footwear, Joe's Jeans Footwear, and Adrienne Maloof footwear. Awesome, right!? :) did I type "footwear" enough?

So... like I said, shoes are in my blood! I realized this at an early age, when I would go into my mom's closet and pull out her shoes and clear off my book shelves, fill them with shoes, and put a sign up that said "Shoe Show". I didn't really know what it meant, other than that was where my dad was always flying off to. Shoe shows. I wanted to be a part of it!
I went to design school in Milan, Italy when I was 20. My professors at Ars Sutoria taught me all about making shoes, including sketching, pattern making, leather tanning, and lots of technical shoe stuff. It was intense.

From shoe school to designer! After graduating from my shoe program I went back home and started working as the assistant to the designer of my dad's company, Titan Industries. At the time, we were only making bebe and Joey O Footwear, and were about to go after our second license, JLO Footwear. I was a part of that project and I loved it! It was so exciting putting what I had learned to use. I was off to China and working my butt off. I was the assistant to our head designer for a little over a year when I got offered the job of taking over as the designer for Playboy. It wasn't anything I had ever thought I would do, but it was a chance to be my own designer! No more assisting!!! I took it! Then, a few months after accepting the position as designer for Playboy, I was offered another line; Zinc footwear! I took it!!! I loved working with Zinc. The clothing was cute and the shoes were much more "my style". 

Later still, I was given the job as designer of JLO footwear.

I launched the debut collection (and every collection thereafter) for Harajuku Lovers in August 2008, and in May of 2009 I took over as designer of Betsey Johnson footwear until Steve Madden bought out 

the company in October of 2010.

Currently I'm designing for Bebe footwear, Adrienne Maloof Footwear, and just launched my own line, Cece L'amour, which I am very excited about.

I love my job! I get to work with shoes every day. It's my job to look at shoes in magazines, online, in stores, and on the streets. It's a dream job honestly, and I feel lucky every day. My obsession is my job... So cool!

Betsey Johnson and I backstage before her runway show <3

Gwen Stefani and I after a L.A.M.B. runway show <3

Mark Badgley, James Mischka and I at a Nordstom personal appearance. Two of the NICEST guys you'll ever meet <3

So thats me, more or less.

My new shoe set up? Well OK since you asked... Here's a sneak peak but I'll be doing a full post on my new apartment soon.

:)

So stay tuned. 2012 is going to be a good year... Thank you all for your continued kind words and support. It really means so much.

LOVE and kisses,

My TV Debut on RHOBH!

Did you guys watch Real Housewives of Beverly Hills last night!?
I'll be totally honest, I've been waiting all season to see if I made the cut and I'm super excited that I did! Even if it was for mere moments and I barely said a word.

We filmed a total of 4 times and it was cut down to these few shots, but I got my name up there which was beyond cool!

I'm glad there were shots of the runway show and party at Adrienne's house where I wore my Miu Miu dress that I am OBSESSED with. (Perfect LBD!)

My mom is there taking a sip of champagne 4 people to the right of me on the screen up there. Hi mom! Your cleavage looks great! hahaha

It's funny that I was sitting next to Brandi and didn't know who she was yet since the season hadn't aired. She was really sweet and friendly and if you watch the show you'll see me laughing hysterically at something she said.

I'm so stoked to have been a part of this process. Adrienne is amazing and easily my favorite housewife! They didn't really show the shoes we made for her, which was weird and kind of a bummer, but here's a quick shot...

As for Lisa and her "Vander Pumps"... stick to Giggy and maybe a line of doggy clothes. Adrienne's got the shoe thing covered. ;)


I hope you enjoyed my TV debut, and possibly also my TV retirement. I don't know how these ladies do it week after week. I truly have a new respect for them. I was nervous and sweaty and over analyzed every shot and hated my hair and thought I made funny faces and on and on... it's all too much! Kudos to you girls that do it on the reg.



XOXO,