B Brian Atwood Named Footwear Launch of the Year

Brian Atwood and Rachel Zoe

Footwear News is the shoe industry's bible like Women's Wear Daily is the trade to the fashion biz. And every year for 25 years, they hand out Annual Achievement Awards in New York -- for design, yes, but more for sales and distribution.

This year, the award went to shoe designer extraordinaire Brian Atwood for the launch -- yes, launch -- of his B Brian Atwood collection. Rachel Zoe, a longtime friend of Atwood's and proponent of his shoes -- she's helped to make his name a big one in the American market -- bestowed the award.

Atwood's original line of shoes, launched in 2001 after the former model designed footwear for Versace, is priced at around $800 and up, with skyscraper heels, pointy toes, and all the sex appeal a shoe can muster. Because of Zoe, they wound up on the feet of many celebs at awards shoes, even before Atwood had a serious name to complete with Manolo and Louboutin.

The B Brian Atwood collection sells around the $350 a pair pricepoint at stores like Nordstrom's and Shopbop.com, which reach a slightly less luxe consumer. Clearly, B soared into the marketplace and is not a fly by night bridge line. And we have to admit, the shoes look very good for that pricepoint. And if asked who designed your shoes, you can still say "Brian Atwood" and not be lying.