Online - August 22, 2006

The Belt Way

Kudra Belts

Function is forever being dumped in favor of fashion.

Leggings ditched the dance studio, camo escaped the jungle, and denim hasn’t been home on the range for ages.

Time to add the old belt to the list. L.A. designer Amy Di LaMarra’s Kudra belts have abandoned the loop for good.

Vintage buckles looted from antique stores, flea markets, and even cast from found objects (like her signature owl design made from a ’70s-era trivet) can be mixed and matched with tapered hipster belts and soft sashes in everything from washed leather to python. No jumping through loops necessary.

If you prefer to cinch the waist, the El Dorado sash with gold-pebbled deco frame or the Single and Double O-rings give a lovely corseted, feminine feel.

So even though belts that don’t hold your pants up may seem as useless as Frye boots to equinophobes, remember what fashion history has shown.

Form that looks this hot has a function all its own.

Available online at kudrastudios.com.