What’s more tasteful and demure than a lace-covered peep-toe pump? Nothing. It’s exactly what a Chanel-wearing, Birkin-toting woman would wear to lunch with her well-heeled friends at The Plaza on any random Tuesday. That’s why I like the Nicholas Kirkwood Lace Peep Toe Platform Pumps so much – they take the expectation of what this shoe should be and stand it on its ear, but they do it in a way that I could still see appealing to a few of the aforementioned ladies.

That’s the challenge of designing avant-guarde pieces for a luxury audience, of course; the majority of women who can afford premier designer prices are not looking to be industrial or incredibly edgy, they’re just looking for solid, beautiful shoes with some personality. Finding a way to design that stays true to a brand’s artistic roots while still selling enough shoes to keep the lights on is something that some designers never find a way to do. It’s clear based on Kirkwood’s expansion and the evolution of his brand that he’s not struggling with that balance as much as some do. Buy through Kirna Zabete for $895.