Princesses, pop stars and fairy-tale footwear

Patience, dear shoe fans: keep scrolling and you will eventually get to the toe of this 8-inch (20cm) ballerina heel, created by Christian Louboutin for the Royal Ballet... 

This skyscraper flat was one of the exhibits in the Couture section of Shoes for Show: the Sculptural Art of High Heels, a great exhibition which took place in London for just four days at the start of November. (Take a look at last week’s post here for an intro to the exhibition and the Innovation section, featuring London’s exciting new generation of shoe designers.)
Christian Louboutin also figured under the heading of shoes commissioned for the Catwalk. The gold studded-and-spiked heels below were created for the Rodarte f/w 2008 collection and swiftly became a favourite with celebs like Janet Jackson and Victoria Beckham.

Image thanks to KuwaitStyle,com

When it comes to pop stars, of course, “Shoes for Show” pretty much says it all. This silver and gold glam-rock boot with perspex heel (below) was designed by Terry de Havilland for Ana Matronic of the Scissor Sisters...

...and Gareth Pugh designed these graphic/futuristic gold boots (below) worn by Beyoncé in her “(Girls) Run the World” video.

Image thanks to myshoebags

More gold, and another musical connection: Rupert Sanderson created these “Atlas” sandals, to be worn by Princess Amneris in the Royal Opera 2010 production of Verdi’s Aida.

French department store Printemps commissioned Nicholas Kirkwood to make these charm-laden stilettos (below) in 2010. They were part of a window display in the Boulevard Haussman shop during Paris Fashion Week, celebrating Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland.

Nicholas Kirkham also designed the amazing platform confections below, for Meadham Kirchoff’s s/s 2012 catwalk collection. While on display they look like something that should sit on top of a particularly princessy dressing-table, your Shoeblogger has already seen them in an upcoming fashion shoot and can confirm that – with a little judicious wardrobe-juggling – they are surprisingly wearable.

Where would shoe fashion be without Daphne Guinness? (Several inches closer to the ground for a start.) One of the most amazing pieces in the exhibition was this towering purple lurex heel-less shoe by Nina Ricci, lent by the Hon. Daphne.

Daphne Guinness, in Nina Ricci shoes, with Valentino Garavani.
Image thanks to fashette.wordpress.com

Shoes for Show: the Sculptural Art of High Heels was organised by e-commerce site Javari.co.uk. Curator Shonagh Marshall commissioned sculptor Jamie Bowler to design a set that would reflect the complex three-dimensional process of shoe design. Sadly there are no immediate plans to tour the exhibition, but it was such a big hit with visitors (and with bloggers) that we hope to see it on the road yet. Fingers crossed...

The Sculptural Art of High Heels

Miniature Armadillo shoe by Alexander McQueen
 from the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition, Savage Beauty

Blink and you missed it. Shoes for Show: The Sculptural Art of High Heels was a fascinating exhibition that took place in east London for just four days at the start of November. Organised by online shoe store Javari and presented in three sections – Catwalk, Couture and Innovation – the exhibition prompted visitors “to consider the high heel, when taken off the foot and placed within the gallery, as a piece of art.” The Innovation theme also provided an introduction to the exciting work of a new generation of London-based shoe designers, such as... 

...Katie Eary, who graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2008 with an MA in Menswear. Straight out of college she was commissioned by Selfridges and had pieces shot by Mario Testino with Kate Moss for UK Vogue. British Elle described her as having “industry credibility as a menswear designer to watch.” These spiked leather-wrapped platform trainers with brass toe caps (above) were created in association with Nike. “Street couture,” is how Katie describes her work. “Treading the monumentally versatile line between Vogue and Vice.” Just to prove she’s human, we should point out that Katie Eary collaborated on Kanye West’s less-than-ecstatically-received debut fashion line this season (Anna Wintour’s verdict: “Ask someone else”). But you can't run in superheels without the odd stumble, non? Shoeblog is looking forward to seeing what Katie does next. 

Above, looks from Katie Eary's collections for s/s 2012 and a/w 2011 (including the Nike platforms in red). 
www.katieeary.co.uk



Dorothy’s slippers in The Wizard of Oz were covered in rubies (Shoeblog recommends the fascinating – and exhaustive – story at Wikipedia. Coincidentally, one of the half dozen pairs seen in the 1945 movie is due to be auctioned this year, on December 16, with an estimate of $2-$3 million. And they aren’t even real rubies...)



This ‘Return to Oz’ heel-less platform slipper is encrusted with copper sulphate crystals and is the creation of two graduates from Kingston University’s Fashion Design MA course. Niamh O’Connor works with leading-edge design research teams, including the London fashion laboratory Studio Nancy Tilbury. Emily Crane’s ‘Micro-Nutrient Couture’ is “a sensory world of transient fashion where no one but the individual will ever wear the same dress again.”

In an interview with Italian Vogue, Emily said, “I’m inspired by the idea that we need to find a more sustainable way to produce clothes. Growing clothes from edible materials is sustainable – and my kitchen was my very first fashion laboratory. Eventually I hope people might be able to buy the recipes I create in shops and grow their own unique fashion items.”
Above, a piece of ‘kitchen couture’ jewellery by Emily Crane.
Niamh O'Connor: tamagangan.blogspot.com  
Emily Crane: emilycrane.co.uk

Chau Har Lee's award-winning footwear is futuristic, architectural and sensuous. After a foundation course at Camberwell College where sculpture and textiles were her main interests, a meeting with Olivia Morris pushed Chau in the direction of shoe design. Cordwainers College and an MA from the RCA followed, then work with companies including Burberry and Georgina Goodman. 

Using materials both traditional and otherwise (like the perspex design above, image thanks to faddy.typepad.com), Chau pushes the boundaries of cobblery. One of her themes is the notion of shoes that can be disassembled and reassembled. In an interview with DazedDigital.com, she talked about the sci-fi creative process: “One design... was built using a 3D printer that deposits thin layers of liquid resin. A laser beam tells the resin where to stay hard and where to remain liquid. After 28 hours... all the liquid drains off leaving the remaining shoe.” Her creations are now available from Selfridges on a made-to-order basis.
www.chauharlee.com

Sophia Grace Webster is another Camberwell/Cordwainers/RCA alumnus. These white leather and cream python platforms, with pearls threaded through the wooden heels, are for Manolo Blahnik.

Sophia’s final collection at art college was inspired by African butterfly wings. “Many of the designs in my collection work as a pair,” she told British Vogue. “So the shoes look beautiful on their own but also tell a story when the wearer puts their feet together. For example on a pair of boots, there is a laser-cut patent wing on each shoe so when you put your feet back together a butterfly appears.” Sophia’s feminine and curvaceous shoes are stocked by Browns, and she has also designed for the high street as winner of the River Island Design Forum. (Image above thanks to allyouneedisstyle.com)
www.sophiagracewebster.co.uk

French-born Natacha Marro (above) opened her first shoe boutique in south London in 2000, after graduating from Cordwainers. Over the years her creations have become favourites of the international fashion press (US Elle, below)...

...and of the most fashion forward footwear fans, ie Lady Gaga (below) and Daphne Guinness.

Lady Gaga image thanks to coolspotters.com

In an interview with GraziaDaily.co.uk, Natacha Marro said, “A lot of work goes into making the shoes really wearable as well as beautiful. The stability of the shoe is really important. They have to be strong enough to be worn by a drunk person walking down stairs! I use screws inside the heel instead of nails. Next, I use a really soft leather to go around the foot. If I am making a glitter or a fabric shoe, I always make it just a tiny bit bigger than the person’s foot so there is room for the person’s foot to expand with the pressure of walking on high heels. Finally, I use an orthopedic insole with lots of cushioning. The inside can take as much work as the outside. The higher the shoe, the more padding there is inside. Daphne once said she can play tennis in my shoes which to me is the biggest compliment ever!” 

Daphne Guinness image thanks to streetfsn.blogspot.com

You can commission Natacha Marro, but be prepared to get in line behind David Bowie, Alison Goldfrapp, Grayson Perry...

www.natachamarro.co.uk

Scale models

 Following last Sunday’s post on leopard print, Shoeclub is donning the pith helmet once again in pursuit of big game. This week: snake.

“Python is ousting leopard as the exotic hide of choice,” according to the December issue of British Vogue. There’s certainly plenty of it slithering about the fashion spots of Moscow. I’ve been admiring these Baldinini heels (above) in the boutique on Tverskaya Ulitsa for weeks. As for the display in Miu Miu on Stoleshnikov Pereulok (below), it will either totally charm you or provoke an Indiana Jones-esque hiss of horror at the sheer volume of reptiles gathered in one store window. (Not to mention the sheer volume of white mice sacrificed for their upkeep...)

With all due respect to Mrs Prada, your Shoeblogger’s feeling is that, when it comes to snake, less is more. Knee-high snake boots risk making your legs look like they are being swallowed by an anaconda. Compare the ones above with these restrained but very chic metallic-heeled slit-front python bootees (below) also spotted on Stoleshnikov this week.  

Even if I agreed in principle, I couldn’t justify indulging in a legful of this season’s serpent, as I already have these...

They’re vintage Roland Cartier snake-print ankle boots (and gratifyingly similar to the a/w 2011 Dries Van Noten version, below.) 

Image via style.com

But if I was investing in snake this season, this is the look I’d be tempted to go for:

 These are Lanvin python-print trainers with fat laces in mustard grosgrain, and this is the very cool Dasha K. rocking them. 

Cat people

Leopard print boots are having a moment right now. Among the crowds enjoying the autumn sunshine in Ploschad Revolutsiy last Saturday afternoon was a pretty girl (above) darting about taking photographs of other pretty girls. I got her to stand still long enough to shoot her cute lace-up leopard-print bootees, though she scooted off before I found out where they're from.

Shortly after on Kamergersky Pereulok another pretty girl was toting an outsize  violin case and a slouchy pair of leopard boots, this time in knee-high ponyskin.

Back in the Shoeblog studio (a small patch of white wall next to the Vogue picture department), here's Katya Z and her lovely leopard-print ponyskin kitten-heel ankle boots from TopShop.

Katya again, above, in leopard-print lace-ups from Sam Edelman.

These featured in last week's post about brogues, but they deserve a second look: Elena B's fab leopard lace-ups from Atillio Giusti Leombruni.

Pride of place goes to Masha S and her amazing black suede and leopard-pattern fur wedge bootees from Ash (an Italian company with a very rock 'n' roll boots selection, take a look here.) 

Of course, the more fashion-forward (read 'older') among us have been hip to the joys of the leopard-print boot for some time. This one's from the archives: ponyskin desert boots by Emma Hope. Shoehorn has had them for years, and every time he wears them they are, ahem, a roaring success.