Columnist Muriel Stevens: New shoes afoot at Neiman’s

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2002 | 8:24 a.m.

Italian shoe designer Giuseppe Zanotti was already in place when I arrived Saturday at Neiman Marcus at the Fashion Show mall, for a special showing of his footwear.

Zanotti designs are gorgeous and original. His shoes come in various heel heights. All of the heels are slim and sexy. My favorite was adorned with a small bunch of perfectly balanced glass grapes. Others had swaths of crystal adorning the sides. All were beautiful. These shoes are available in NM's shoe salon on the second level. (Soon, the salon will move to the first floor.)

The designer was in town for the annual World Shoe Show and he was making his only retail personal appearance. We talked about the health risks of wearing the popular stiletto heels.

"That is why," he said, "I will, next year, introduce high heels with non-slip soles and heels. I am the only one to do this." It's a timely idea, one that should be applied to lower-dress heels as well. Of course, they'll be available at NM.

NM's expansion is coming along nicely. The handbag and accessory department is almost done and is chic and sleek. In addition to the regular handbag displays, top designers such as Dior and Tod have their own boutiques. I had a wonderful time going in and out of each one and checking out the new trends. The Prada color combinations are glorious. It's worth a visit just to keep up with the daily happenings.

Coco's Gifts a charmer: Why haven't I written before about this special gift shop on the Fashion Show's second level? Because I didn't know it was there. I still wouldn't know had it not been for a friend who caught me just as I was leaving NM and insisted I go there. "It's hard to find, but worth looking for," he said.

Tucked away in the corner, surrounded by construction barriers, it is not easy to get to, but I was determined. At first glance Coco's overwhelms with its large selection of, well, everything.

To attempt to describe the remarkable selection of pillows, ceramics, hand-blown glass pieces, dolls and other collectibles would take more than one column. Hand-carved and hand-decorated end tables and night stands are custom designed. So appealing are the French dolls (poupees) in various poses.

Coco's owner, Sharon Murphy, knows every piece in the shop. It comes, she said, from "dusting them daily." The price range is vast, starting at $3 for a piece of glass candy to $3,000 for a 7-foot-plus, custom-made giraffe with a ceramic face and a body made from the same wool used to make Greek Flokati rugs.

At least 70 percent of the merchandise is crafted by American artisans. Much of it is exclusive to Coco's. Faux Paw, a line of whimsical clay dogs, are so wonderful I just had to buy one for a friend. There's more to come. Murphy recently returned from a New York gift show and says she will be receiving new items for weeks.

A valentine pizza: Last year Metro pizza sold more than 500 heart-shaped pizzas during Valentine's week. One dollar from each pizza is donated to the American Heart Association. So, have a heart-shaped pizza at any Metro outlet or take-out for a cozy dinner at home. Love and a good deed -- how romantic.