Comfort, style, high-fashion, and quality are words that are synonymous with Donald J. Pliner. Renowned for his luxuriously comfortable and polished footwear, women everywhere want a piece of Donald J. Pliner in their closets. “Fashion is one thing, and comfort is another…I try to combine both fashion and comfort,” said Donald in an interview with Abby Hathorn at his special event and appearance at Belk The Summit on September 14.
Pliner took the fashion world by storm in 1989 with the launch of his sumptuous men’s and women’s footwear/accessories line. Toute de suite, Donald J. Pliner’s cutting edge designs and formidable style footwear placed him at the top of the fashion world’s must-have list. In 2004, he was inducted into the Footwear News Hall of Fame. Today, Donald continues to stay true to his haute, quality footwear by meticulously designing every pair of shoes himself.
“The Donald J Pliner Collection is sold nationwide in select specialty stores and upscale department stores including Nordstrom, Dillard’s and Bloomingdale’s, and at the company’s five concept stores (Aventura, Coral Gables, Houston, Las Vegas, San Jose). The entire collection is also available online at www.donaldjpliner.com.” (press release)
Now, without further ado, I introduce to y’all the VIP’s spectacular interview with acclaimed shoe designer Donald J. Pliner.
VIP: How would you describe the Donald J. Pliner woman?
DJP: “Today in fashion, there is no age anymore…all of a sudden, there is a new world called exercise, a new world called fashion….It’s the customer–she can be any age!”
VIP: Where is your go-to spot for inspiration?
DJP: “Paris! I used to live in Miami, now, I just live in L.A. and New York…but you know L.A. is all about Hollywood…there is a lot of inspiration there [in L.A.]….[Many] of my inspirations come from history, but as far as cities are concerned, I think my favorite cities are Paris and Morocco.”
VIP: (The VIP Question) What is one item in your closet you would never toss out and why?
DJP: “My beaded shoes. It takes 38 hours to make one pair of these. It is all hand-beaded.”
A silent auction of folk art carvings of pigs and masks created by New Mexican artist Larry Jacquez and signed by Pliner was held during the event with the proceeds benefiting Donald and Lisa Pliner’s Peace for the Children Foundation.
“PEACE FOR THE CHILDREN FOUNDATION represents the mission of Donald and Lisa Pliner. Through their foundation, they aim to restore peace in the lives of children who would otherwise be overlooked. The foundation identifies and funds projects that foster peace in the lives of children by eradicating disease, educating, encouraging communication through meaningful play, and providing the groundwork for children to articulate their thoughts and work through their differences; developing a paradigm for problem-solving and peacemaking in the next generation. PEACE FOR THE CHILDREN FOUNDATION believes despite the current injustices that plague so many children around the world, its vision of peace for the children will ultimately be realized.” (press release)
To shop Donald J. Pliner please visit www.belk.com OR www.donaldjpliner.com.
For more information about upcoming Belk The Summit events, please click here.
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