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"    Photo: Stefanie Keenan/WireImage   ShoeMint threw its first birthday bash last weekend with frontwoman Rachel Bilson and stylist Nicole Chavez. The duo hosted their West Coast friends, including Jaime King, Lauren Conrad, and Emily Current and Meritt Elliott of Current/Elliott at a five-course brunch at West Hollywood hotspot, Laurel Hardware. Guests sipped champagne, noshed on savory fried chicken sliders and grilled cheese sandwichettes, but most importantly, got a sneak peek at ShoeMint&amp;#039;s holiday collection, launching on Black Friday. Boasting a bevy of metallic, textured, and embellished silhouettes, Chavez explained the aim for their sophomore year, &amp;quot;We love natural earthy stuff, mixed with a bit of rock and Americana.&amp;quot; Highlighting the Zoe-style heel, she continued, &amp;quot;This has the chic pointed toe, but we added spikes.&amp;quot;   Bilson, in a printed silk georgette maxi dress from A.L.C., admitted that she&amp;#039;s a &amp;quot;shoe and bag girl.&amp;quot; Pinpointing the origin of her obsession, she confessed, &amp;quot;It started very early on for me. At 2-years-old, I wouldn&amp;#039;t let my mom dress me. I was very opinionated. At that age, I had to have my jellies. Those were a big deal for a girl growing up in the &amp;#039;80s.&amp;quot; Now, overseeing her own line, the designer brings to life what&amp;#039;s missing from her closet: &amp;quot;I wear a size five, so it&amp;#039;s really important to make shoes I want to wear, because it&amp;#039;s impossible to find them anywhere otherwise.&amp;quot; Bilson and Chavez\u2014who first collaborated on Summer Roberts&amp;#039;s wardrobe in The O.C.\u2014claim to share a &amp;quot;fashion brain&amp;quot; and are constantly texting each other images. &amp;quot;If we see a shoe on somebody, or something we like\u2014a color, a fabric\u2014we&amp;#039;ll send it back and forth,&amp;quot; said Chavez. &amp;quot;We always go with our gut. If we&amp;#039;re not into a trend, or if it&amp;#039;s not us, it doesn&amp;#039;t get made.&amp;quot; Their teamwork came into play when they expanded into handbags this past fall.  The three-hour affair culminated with Bilson and Chavez ceremonially cutting the ShoeMint birthday cake, toasting to another year. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/fashion/accessories/news/a17284/shoemint-one-year-anniversary-party/?click=news>