Comfort Club Summer 2014

®

Summer ‘14

Club

COMFORT

Style notes just for you Unforgettable shoes Make your own Easter card

WELCOME

to our Hotter family

exclusive

TO HOTTER COMFORT CLUB MEMBERS

COMFORT

Sun, sea & city breaks

WELCOME TO THE HOTTER FAMILY

Discover holiday sandals for every destination

SUMMER 2014

Club

Summer is just around the corner, so we’re looking forward to long lazy days, barbeques, picnics and wiggling our toes in lovely new sandals.

We’re hoping to inspire you to try a new Hotter look in this edition as we introduce our charming Style Ambassador Alex Longmore, who reveals how to ‘hotter-ise’ the latest trends. We talk with Professor Jenny Hockey about ‘unforgettable shoes’ and we’ve an Easter project from our multitalented designer Ellspeth.

We’re also sharing our love with a show of hand hearts - mine is below. And what I love most is hearing all about your adventures in Hotter shoes, so don’t be shy let’s be social! Have a wonderful Summer, warm wishes...

Editor, Comfort Club

2 | Find our full collection at www.hotter.com

W

hen luggage space is at a premium, smart packing is key to making the most of your holiday wardrobe. Shoes or sandals are a key foundation, making sure they are comfortable goes without saying, but select the right styles and everything else falls into place.

We asked our designer Kim Denton for her holiday footwear tips.

“My advice is to plan your holiday wardrobe from the shoes up, that way you can mix and match your clothes to create several looks for each piece of footwear,” explained Kim. “Sandals like Maisie and Abigail are great multi-taskers – you can dress them up for casual evenings and in the brighter shades they look amazing on the beach with a co-ordinated t-shirt or sarong.

“I love active holidays, sight-seeing and exploring new destinations, so I’d opt for Scarlett which I know has lots of cushioning and adjustment if my feet get warm. For cooler climates our new ‘mall walker’ Lexi looks great with jeans and cut off trousers and I know it will give lots of support when I’m pounding the streets because I designed it to do just that!

“There’s always a reason to dress up on holiday, and if you’re cruising or planning to celebrate a special occasion, our beautiful Mauritius and Maldives sandals are elegant and give real heel appeal. Their colour palette is so simple but so sophisticated: classic black, white or tan always look good with tanned legs and give the finishing touch to cool neutrals, bright shades or refined monochrome.”

Maldives

Scarlett

Discover more sandals at www.hotter.com

Alma

Abigail

Join the Hotter family on Facebook | 3 Maisie

Style

notes...

With Hotter Style Ambassador Alex Longmore When the red carpet beckons, A list celebrities turn to their favourite stylist to help them shine, and, for many, top fashion stylist Alex Longmore’s phone number is on speed dial! Now, as Hotter’s first ever Style Ambassador, Alex reveals which Hotter shoes are her top picks of the season and which trends are the ones to be seen in for your very own red carpet experience.

“I work with celebrities like Jerry Hall, Jodie Kidd and Julie Walters and I know that when they are on the red carpet they want to feel super comfortable and look super fashionable,” explained Alex, “and I really believe that Hotter has captured this for Spring Summer.”

4 | Find our full collection at www.hotter.com

Rumba

SIMPLY BLACK AND WHITE...

Monochrome is Alex’s favourite trend as it’s simply so flattering.

It’s really functional as it can be worn from day to evening and accessible too, because everyone has some black or white in their wardrobe.

FLORAL TONES...

The floral trend has made a debut on many of the season’s catwalks for daytime through to formal wear. It has a great British bohemian feel with a healthy dose of Downton Abbey thrown in and it’s a big winner for Ascot and weddings , where it can be worn as a whole floral outfit or pretty floral accessories.

Alex loves Hannah with its beautiful floral patterns which are perfect to get this trend just right.

Alex

loves...

Faye: “...the laser cut finish to this smart court is so on trend. A stylist’s trick would be to opt to wear something elegant but simple, and let these shoes take all the limelight with their directional pattern.”

Mabel: “...they are sure to be a staple in every fashionista’s wardrobe this Summer. I’ve got my eye on the pink floral pair that have a real LA feel to them.”

Chloe Alex loves Chloe: “The Duchess of Cambridge loves wearing wedges and so will you once you try on a pair of these. The simple leather twist at the front of the shoe is key, it makes this wedge look really flattering on the foot.

It comes in an elegant Black or Off White for Summer.”

Hannah

Soft: “...a pretty pink slip on which is feminine and practical at the same time.

The Light Taupe and Dark Aqua are great colours for Summer.”

Faye

Alex has over 16 years’ experience and has become a key player in the British fashion industry.

She started her career at Tatler and Company magazine before moving to the Daily Mail where she became Style Editor. For the past ten years Alex has worked freelance, styling celebrities and dressing them for red carpet event and editorial shoots. Alex’s TV credits include the Lorraine Kelly Show, Britain’s Top Model and Billion Dollar Babe.

Join the Hotter family on Facebook | 5

‘If the shoe fits’ is a study to discover how shoes can contribute to our identity.

Jenny Hockey, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Sheffield, is heading a team trying to unearth how and why shoes play such an important role in our lives.

Exclusively for Comfort Club readers she gives a glimpse into the project.

S

Unforgettable shoes...

hoes are currently high profile in advertising and play an important role in popular culture, folklore and fairy tales. Just think of Cinderella’s glass slipper, Dorothy’s red shoes in the Wizard of Oz and the ‘power’ represented by the designer heels in Sex and the City.

And in real life, shoes can feature within many everyday transitions - for example baby to toddler, from work to leisure activities or because of certain health conditions. Our project makes shoes a starting point for examining how people’s identities can develop and move forward on a daily basis and throughout the course of their lives. When we are growing into a new life and we move on, as we always do, the shoes we wear or buy at that time can become part of the transition and they become unforgettable.

They’re the ones we still keep in the back of our wardrobe.

The team has been working with more than 80 people across the UK, looking at their earliest,

Project research team, left to right, Alexandra Sherlock, Rachel Dilley and Jenny Hockey.

The team is completed by Victoria Robinson.

and continuing, memories of footwear. One of the women in our research was Luna who went to Japan after a long term relationship broke up. She vividly recalled the time when, having overcome the pain, she returned to the UK and ‘the first pair of shoes I bought were those ballet ones, so maybe that was the start of something new. I won’t get rid of them now even though I’ll probably never wear them again.’

Some women recalled the thrill of buying court shoes as a teenager; saving up ‘six and 11’ and being allowed to wear them for the first time or, in one case, being told by dad not to wear them as he

6 | Find our full collection at www.hotter.com

“Slip-ons were a sought after shoe, I got a brown pair with a folded back and slashed vamp. I wore them the day I finally swam 14 yards across the pool and the day I passed the 11+. They became my lucky shoes”.

Professor Jenny Hockey

SOCIAL NOTES We asked you on Facebook and Twitter what makes a pair of shoes unforgettable.

Here’s a few of your answers...

Helena told us: “That almost impossible combo of comfort and style.”

thought they were too ‘fast’ and ‘flash’. Other men and women wanted to wear shoes they remembered from exciting, youthful days – to move back rather than forward.

For others, growing older brought a new freedom from uncomfortable shoes.

And one woman bought forty pairs of high heeled shoes to celebrate her 40th birthday.

Jenny and her team have produced a documentary based on the project which follows the story of two of their subjects Sarah and Eva. You can discover more on ‘Iftheshoefits’ blog at www.sheffield.ac.uk

“Shoes also move between people.

When my friend bought the wrong size of Hotter walking boots she gave them to me. I didn’t think such a light pair could give real comfort out on the fells, but they’ve taken me on journeys into some of the UK’s most beautiful countryside - and changed my mind about buying ‘stout boots’ that weigh a ton!”

Professor Jenny Hockey

Sue said: “The shoes that you forget are on your feet are actually the most unforgettable.”

Chris commented: “Coming home from a long day out and not thinking I’ll be glad to get these things off my feet.”

Susan thought: “Comfort, style and colour. In that order.”

Designer Ellspeth’s unforgettable shoes are: “The first paper shoes I made about 7 years ago, they got me noticed by my local craft shop and set off my craft classes.”

WIN £100 TO SPEND AT HOTTER Tell us, or show us, which pair of shoes is unforgettable to you and we’ll ask Ellspeth to select her favourite to win £100 of Hotter vouchers. Entry details on back page.

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Making heart hands from top to bottom, left to right: Yuliya Danylyuk, our model; Laura Blandy, US Marketing Manager; John Nicholas, Retail Director.

Love style, love comfort, love Hotter.

Inspired by the hand heart created by our beautiful model Yuliya, we decided to share our Hotter love with you, our lovely customers. Here are a few of our 1,000 staff sending happy hearts to you and here are a few words they wanted to share.

8 |

love

“I it when a customer tells me she has feet that are impossible to fit and I find her some shoes she doesn’t want to take off,” Mark Titchener, Personal Shopper.

love

“I the buzz and thrill of the factory; and I love ensuring every

pair of Hotter shoes are presented and packed to perfection,” Joan Stewart, Factory Manager.

love

“I giving customers a lovely Hotter experience, and leaving them with a smile when they get off the phone,” Lisa MacDonald, Customer Advisor.

Vicki Barnbrock, Personal Shopper; Peter Taylor, Managing Director; Pauline Swarbrick, Call Centre Manager.

Alan Evans, Warehouse Manager; Creative Team - Jonathan Low, Deb Harrison, Jo Houghton, Tom Brookes; Joan Stewart, Factory Manager; Jenni Summers, PR and Social Media Assistant; Justin Haber, Merchandising Analyst; Helen Wood, Shoe Packer.

love

“I to know the thousands of pairs we despatch each day are destined to give our customers happy feet,” Alan Evans, Warehouse Manager.

love

“I the friendly atmosphere, it’s a great place to work,” Violet McClean, Factory Packer.

love

“I the way the company has grown in the seven years I have been here, when I joined Hotter there were only four stores and now we have 64!” Sarah Lloyd, Retail Support.

love

“I the passion our team and our customers have for Hotter,” Peter Taylor, Managing Director.

Show us your love with a hand heart photo, or supersize your heart like our Eastbourne team on our back page. We’ll pick three we love to receive a £50 Hotter voucher.

Find the ways to enter and deadline on the back page.

Warehouse Packing team members Sheila Melling, Sharon Lawless, Elaine Hale, Ann Morris, Ronnie Lawrence, Joan Baines, Ann Murphy and Yvonne Murray.

| 9

Ellspeth

designs for you

O

ur multi-talented shoe designer Ellspeth has been working on projects to interest and inspire you – and we’ve not just talking about the lovely collection of shoes she’s been working on.

With thoughts of Easter and Spring just around the corner she’s created a fantastic Easter card project exclusively for our Comfort Club readers. Make and decorate yours today and put a smile on the face of friends and family.

Inspired by one of the hottest seasonal trends, the tea dress, she’s found the perfect pairs of shoes to give this cute, fashion a lovely Hotter flourish...

Time for

TEA...

“The tea dress has been around for a long time, in fact it was first introduced into fashion in the 1840s by a lady called Anna Maria Russell who is credited with creating the afternoon tea,” explained Ellspeth. “Over the years the tea dress has evolved and evolved, but in 2012 it really came into its own when several actresses wore vintage tea dresses on the red carpet. For this season the tea dress has hit new heights of popularity, with many of the international designers featuring the look on their catwalk shows.

“Rumba and France, with their vintage feel look perfect for formal occasions like weddings or christenings, or keep the dress plain and the shoes floral like Hannah for a more casual look.”

France in Light Taupe

Rumba in Pink

LADIES SHOE DESIGNER ELLSPETH ROBSON.

10 | Find our full collection at www.hotter.com

Hannah in Pink Floral

Get crafty for Easter...

This Easter create an eggscellent greeting card designed by Ellspeth!

It’s easy to do and the possibilities are endless. You can make your card with patterned, glittery, stripy card, or use plain coloured card and add your own pattern.

To download the instructions and template visit: www.hotter.com/eastercard or email us at: weloveshoes@hotter.com

YOU’LL DISCOVER MORE OF ELLSPETH’S CRAFTY PROJECTS AT HOTTER.COM

Happy crafting and don’t forget to send us a photo of your creations!

WE Jo Forrest

SHOES SINGING!

and we also love

SHOE FANS Jo Forrest and Avril Keys both sing in choirs, Jo a soprano and Avril an alto, and both wear Hotter shoes when they perform.

Jo is part of Leatherhead Choral society and wears France and Valetta to keep her comfortable and once a year organises a trip for the choir to sing at the Royal Albert Hall.

Avril, who loves to perform in style Glamour, is part of Belfast Community Gospel who once appeared on Songs of Praise!

Avril Keys If you enjoy an interesting hobby in your Hotter shoes, let us know and we’ll share it!

Send your story and photo to weloveshoes@hotter.com

Join the Hotter family on Facebook | 11

FOOTNOTES

from our friends

We love receiving photos and stories about your adventures in your Hotter shoes. Please keep sending them to us! In this edition we’re sharing our favourite ‘shoesies’ and love for Hotter.

Send us your #shoesies In 2013 the Oxford Dictionary named ‘selfies’ as the word of the year, a selfie is a photo of yourself but we love a photo of you wearing your Hotter shoes even more and we call them shoesies! Share your #shoesies with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, wherever you can! Here’s a few shoesies we just had to share...

“I love wearing my Hotter trainers when we go for a good blow on a windy day at the beach.”

Christine Cunningham, Southampton

Here’s Jess and Karen from our Eastbourne store expressing their love for Hotter. Show us how much you love Hotter too by sharing your heart photo with us using any of the contact details below!

We’ll feature our favourites in a dedicated Facebook photo album.

“My Hotter’s take me to the local park where even the ducklings admire their style!”

Lin Worthy, Kidlington Enter our competitions or contact our Comfort Club family by post, by email at weloveshoes@hotter.com or on our Facebook page.

All competitions in this edition close on 1st May 2014. Winners details will be printed in our online Comfort Club or contact the editor for a full list.

Melanie Killilea, Editor, Comfort Club, Hotter, 2 Peel Road, Skelmersdale, WN8 9PT

Call 0800 525 893 or visit www.hotter.com to sign up for our newsletter, see more Comfort Club news and view our full collection.

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