Sock Jewelry ~ Luxury Legwear from Nicholas Messina
By ELLEN LEWIS
It’s no secret that I love socks. My tenure as a hosiery buyer at Macy’s (before it was a national behemoth) was one of the most creative jobs of my career. I am always perusing sock departments just to see what’s out there. I also believe that socks, like any other accessory, can be a great statement maker, even for us New Yorkers whose apparel tends to lean towards black and black. Because of the stocking category, this whole classification has a natural affinity to lingerie. It’s just not easy to scope out the truly innovative. So imagine my thrill discovering Nicholas Messina luxury legwear collection at Salon International de la Lingerie. The very first thing I said to Nicholas is these styles are sock jewelry. He even asked me if he could use the term!
Using pure silk, nylons knitted on ancient crafts, lycra and authentic thread 3 threads, each pair is unique, incorporating unexpected elements such as pearls, embroidered appliques and lace in interesting patterns. Made exclusively in France, it is a luxurious method for dressing the legs. Each pair is delivered perfumed an wrapped in tissue paper boxes. The socks are amazing but more important this brand was a welcome lift to a 12 hour work day scoping the show for new ideas.
Creativity is Contagious. Pass it On! ~Albert Einstein
