Play with Your Clothes - Leopard Shoes, Meow!

Question: What do you do when the power goes out and you have no heat and no cell phone services? Answer: Play with your clothes!!!

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, when Manhattan south of 39th Street had no power and Jean was left to her own devices, she pulled out that pair of platform sandals she'd gotten at Joe last summer for some incredibly irresistible price (under $60). They were in pristine condition because they'd never been worn -- because they were so, well, plain. They just needed a little pizzaz! Here they are photographed in sunlight -- the only illumination available immediately after the storm.

Everything else about the shoes was terrific - the high platform had a very low incline, so the foot sits comfortably in an almost flat position (are you listening, shoe designers?); the vamp has an elastic insert so it stretches; and the heel strap is adjustable, to accommodate thick socks. What more could a girl want, you ask? Well, Glamour! Excitement! Adventure!  Of course!

And nothing is as exciting, glamourous or exciting as leopard, right? Jean had some black and liquid gold DecoColor opaque paint markers with a broad tip (bought from Blick Art Materials on Bond Street, way back in the warm months when everyone had electricity). In the delirium brought on by too many chilly candle lit nights and too many cold morning showers, she began to make the most of her daylight hours by painting free-form leopard spots. Here's a shot of the first shoe half-way through its transformation.

The piece de resistence was the addition of a golden center to each of the spots! Trying her best, Jean attempted to make the spots on the shoes somewhat symmetrical. You be the judge of her success.

Here is the finished product in all of its glory.

Once the power was restored to lower Manhattan, Jean decided to take them out for a spin.

Anyone can do it! And you don't have to wait for the next black-out.  If you've got some bright ideas of your own, enlighten us.

What she's wearing: Vintage Norma Kamali leopard jacket (from a previous Manhattan Pavilion Antique Show from Another Man's Treasure in Jersey City); Costume National jodhpurs (consignment store) ; Rick Owens turtle neck;  Ignatius cocktail hat (from the Philadelphia Museum Craft Show), and newly customized Joe sandals.