Among the exciting new-for-Spring brands at SPACE is the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund winner Brother Vellies. Designed by Aurora James and fabricated in collaboration with African artisans in developing communities, it's a line of supremely wearable shoes that you can feel supremely good about wearing.

In a photo studio converted to a sort of butterfly house out on the far west side yesterday, Aurora showed how a recent trip to Ethiopia transformed her ideas about the language of women and really killer boots and handbags.

If you could manage to get up close to the presentation stage, you could see the beautiful embroidery on the stand-out orange moccasins given center stage. Aurora happened to be there, too, in a spaghetti strap top layered over a tee with frayed-edge denim and a pair of her own springbok hide kicks, of course. She spoke to a rotation of fashion press about the process of scouting talented African women and then working with them to flex their work for her collection.

She talked about how this helps them bring their skills outside their community to markets it's likely they would never have had access to otherwise. Aurora uses chrome-free leather and fur indigenous to Africa; pieces like the fur poncho shown here were made by utilizing leftover pieces from other products.

Produced in South Africa, Kenya, Morocco and Ethiopia, Aurora's abiding inspiration came from the highly embellished dress styles worn by women in the Omo Valley. Floral decorations, body art and other elements of their style are used to send nonverbal messages and ideas.

What you convey with thigh-high boots, furry-bit topped Mary Janes and textural crossbody bags depends on you.

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-Laura Cassidy