PHOTOS: Jimmy Choo And Rob Pruitt Really, Really Like Their Neon

by Hilary George-Parkin | 10:40 am, October 29th, 2012

Finally, a collaboration that speaks to our inner Nineties candy raver and our middle school Lisa Frank-aficionado selves, from the unlikely bedfellows of Jimmy Choo and contemporary artist Rob Pruitt.

Pruitt, the artist behind the gleaming silver Andy Warhol statue that stood in Manhattan’s Union Square until last month, as well as a body of work heavy on the black, white, and blinding brights, was tapped for the line of shoes, handbags, and accessories for his “particular brand of iconoclastic humor and visual exuberance,” according to the folks at Jimmy Choo. On Thursday night, we headed uptown for the launch party, held at the Fletcher Sinclair Mansion, and were greeted by a historic building glowing hot pink, neon lights snaking over the entranceway and the artist’s name projected in acid green on the pavement below.

Inside, we wended our way past the black and white hypnosis wheel of a wall and up the (again, neon lit) staircase to the top floor, where partygoers like Hilary Rhoda, Krysten Ritter, Melissa George, and Tinsley Mortimer competed for the attention of the crowd with seven pedestals holding the zaniest accessories we may have ever come across.

Printed technicolor mules tufted with fuchsia marabou stood two platforms over from zebra platform wedges topped with rainbow-sprinkled leather, punctuated in the middle by a sensible (ha!) loafer in degradé leopard print. Sea Of Shoes‘ Jane Aldridge, however, insisted the collection is 100% wearable: “I think it’s the best collaboration. I love it,” gushed the blogger-cum-footwear connoisseur. And indeed, she herself paired the strappy zebra stilettos, probably the most out-there piece from the line, with a super-casual dark denim ensemble. “I didn’t pack much so I only have jeans,” she explained, “but really I think they’re very versatile. I’d just wear them with denim or cargo pants.”

We’d probably go with something almost as neon as the party itself, but to each her own.

Check out snaps from the launch below: