Those shoes aren't to be sold

Shops or fashions shows aren’t the only places to see and learn about the new trends or about the changes in the fashion world. Sometimes museums give good opportunities to learn about the fashion and its history too.

 

Kobi Levi, Blow, 2010
foto Ilit Azoulay
© Kobi Levi Footwear Art

One of the recent interesting exhibitions take place in The Kunsthal Rotterdam in Netherlands. It is an exhibition that those who are interested in the shoes and their stories shouldn't miss.

René van den Berg en Karin Janssen,
Bits & Pieces, 2012
© A SHOE CAN BE

The museum reveals the astonishing story of women’s shoe design from 1900 to our time under the exhibition “S.H.O.E.S” (Sexy Heels Or Easy Sandals). 

 

Manolo Blahnik, 2008
© Collectie Modemuseum Hasselt

Vivienne Westwood, Court shoes
1993, Collectie Bata Shoe
Museum. beeld © 2013 Bata Shoe
Museum, Toronto, Canada

Around 500 shoes are included in the exhibition. 

Ellen Verbeek, 2008 © Ellen Verbeek

One can see the shoes of celebrated designers such as André Perugia and Salvatore Ferragamo or Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin, as well as contemporary and rising young talents according to the museum.

André Perugia, Escarpin 1937,
collectie PERUGIA,
beeld © Agnès Bastioni

Many pieces from celebrated collections will be on display in the  exhibition as well such as Perugia’s surrealist 1931 design “Homage to Braque” from the International Footwear Museum in Romans-sur-Isère, as well as the first platform-sole sandal that Ferragamo designed in 1938 for Judy Garland.

And there is also place for Roger Vivier who invented the stiletto in 1954. 

The exhibition can be visited till 11th May, 2014.

Ex-lovers under the heels

Miami hosted a very interesting exhibition a few weeks ago. It is over but the designs worth to mention. The exhibition is called "12 Shoes for 12 Lovers".  

Chilean born artist and designer Sebastian Errazuriz designed 12 shoes based upon the memories of his 12 previous relationships. The artist defines the exhibition "as an attempt to go through the reminiscence of former lovers who are the inspiration for each shoe sculpture".

The sculptures are accompanied by personal photos and stories in which Errazuriz reveals a glimpse of each relationship.

Sebastian Errazuriz

However I decided to try something different before I started writing the article. As a person fond of psychology and art, I decided to analyze the sculptures/shoes just by looking at them without reading the stories.

In each design or art of work actually we see what is deep inside of the artist. We see the glimpses of his memories and feelings. Each artist doesn't accept this or prefers not to talk about it explicitly. But the reminiscence of his former lovers or his private life is the core of that exhibition of Errazuriz and it made the designs more interesting for me. 

I just tried guessing what the artist lived and felt by looking at the sculptures. That is why I started with the "Heart Breaker". It is the sculpture/shoe I loved the most and somehow it gave me the feeling that she was the most beloved one for him.

And the second sculpture that attracted me: Gold Digger. Aesthetically I found it very appealing. And as a writer of a fashion blog, I would say I would like to see almost all his designs in shoe shops too. You cannot find more creative and more meaningful shoes.

However it would be wrong to take the exhibition just in terms of love and sex relation. Because after reading the stories actually you see the absurdities that challenge everyday life as the designer cited.

From now on I can talk about the stories as well. Because I read them now all. And my guess for the "Heart Breaker" seems to be right. Those who wonder about the story can read the manuscript in his instagram account @sebastianerrazurizstudio.

I want to go on talking about the absurdities he tries to tell us. Actually they are easy to see even if just by looking at the sculptures and the names. After you read the short stories it becomes clearer. Let's start with the Gold Digger. Here is the story:

Here we see a little bit Daisy of the Great Gatsby. Those who read the book of Fitzgerald or watched the movies will understand what I mean. Those women who are the slaves of power and money cannot be defined with a better term than the gold digger. Do we see here a subtle revenge of the designer from the past as well?

I will leave the analysis of the other sculptures to your imagination. That one is called "Cry Baby".

And here is the "Hot Bitch".

 

 

AS FASHION OBJECT?

After a short psychological analysis it is time to talk from the aspect of fashion. Shoes are the most important object in woman fashion. It changes the way your outfit looks. How about such shoes? 

Personally I don't find them unwearable or too crazy. Under jeans or mini dresses and skirts it might make any woman look different and cooler than her peers.

I find "The Ice Queen" and "The Virgin" as great wedding shoes.

By the way the story of "The Virgin" is also thought provoking...

And for summer dresses "The Honey" is the best.

"The Rock" might be used as winter boots. But most probably just by Lady Gaga.

For those who are interested in the stories, the story of the woman who inspired the artist for the design "The Rock" ends like that: "I loved her so much. Always will..."

Woman effect on women

Nice dresses, shoes, bags... Even the best... For a woman it is really important to look nice and to be called "beautiful". Isn't all that rush for that? 

Do we buy because we need one more black dress or one more red bag or one more blue skirt? Of course not! Most of the time it is a compensation for the things we lost in ourselves. By looking nice we try to fill in some gaps...

I had written before that men wear what women want and women just get dressed for themselves. To look nice! Have you ever thought that "that looking nice" is not just to look nice in the eyes of men. Yes, it is true. The women get dressed nicely most of the time to look nice in their fellows' eyes and to hear the sentence "Oh god, you look gorgeous" or to be asked "Where did you get that dress or bag?". Just think for a while: When you bought something new and nice, weren't you ready to answer all the questions about your new treasures?

"How do I look like today?"

Sometimes I find fashion as a race between women.  A woman never wants to be blamed for her clothes by another woman. So before going to a party or to a meeting it is better to ask the question "How do I look like today?" to a woman rather than a man... Or?

Ankle boots

November is the last month of autumn. We are about to welcome winter and also thicker clothes and long boots. So before getting colder and the winter freezes us, it is just time for ankle boots.

  

I bought recently those black boots by La Strada. The shiny stones and the leather belt around were the main reason why they attracted me. Such details make even just a simple black boot look stunning. It gives the boots a designer look.

And those brick colour boots (by 5th Avenue) can be combined with a similar colour or a black dress and with black tights.

This year I spent so much money on ankle boots. But I find them really comfortable. It is possible to wear them under jeans too. However I prefer not wear those brown boots (by Claudia Ghizzani) under jeans not to hide their beautiful design.

You can just wear a long pullover and leggings with ankle boots as well. Those above are by Scholl.

I wear those brown boots above sometimes under jeans but they are nicer with a mini skirt or dress.