Designer to Watch - Jerome Rousseau

Pre-Fashion Week, I hit Expose, a new designer showcase by former product placement specialist Matt Meyerson. There were about two dozen lines previewing Spring '09 and easily one of the most promising of the bunch was young shoe designer Jerome Rousseau.

The French Canadian Rousseau is already generating buzz in the fashion media, including a profile in September's Harper's Bazaar and a feature in the August edition of Vogue UK (why are the foreign editions of Vogue so superior to the American? I will never understand it...)

Rousseau says, "I initially think in terms of shape, silhouette and structure when I design. It's later on that I bring fashion in the equation."

To see why the fashionistas are talking, check out these pics of Jerome Rousseau's glamorous and distinctive Spring footwear collection:

Jerome Rousseau's collection retails for $495-$1,200 and is available at Fred Segal in Los Angeles, Harvey Nichols in Dubai and Hong Kong, Holt Renfrew in Canada and The Wynn in Las Vegas, among other locations worldwide. Visit www.jeromecrousseau.com for more info.