by Brooke Varney
The shoes responsible Naomi Campbell’s famous tumble on the Vivienne Westwood runway will be on display at Shoes: Pleasure and Pain
Let’s face it, a pair of shoes can change a girl’s life. (Just ask Cinderella…) They have the power to transform any outfit, and make a girl feel as good as she looks, so it’s no wonder that they’re getting their very own exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Opening this summer shortly after the debut of the Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty exhibition, Shoes: Pleasure and Pain “will consider the cultural significance and transformative capacity of shoes and will examine the latest developments in footwear technology creating the possibility of ever higher heels and dramatic shapes,” according to the V&A. “Examples from famous shoe wearers and collectors will be shown alongside a dazzling range of historic shoes, many of which have not been displayed before.” The exhibit will be divided into three sections, the first being Transformation, which will present shoes that are a part of legends and folklore all over the world. This will be followed by Status, which presents beautiful yet impractical shoes that have become symbols of privilege, and lastly Seduction, “representing an expression of sexual empowerment or a passive source of pleasure”.
The fashion evolution begins with a pure gold leaf Egyptian sandal dating back to 30BC, leading up to present day with shoes courtesy of Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, and Christian Louboutin. The exhibition will even feature the iconic blue Vivienne Westwood platforms that Naomi Campbell famously fell in during the 1992 runway show. Exhibit curator Helen Persson says it best; “Shoes are one of the most telling aspects of dress. Beautiful, sculptural objects, they are also powerful indicators of gender, status, identity, taste and even sexual preference. Our choice in shoes can help project an image of who we want to be.” We couldn’t agree more.
Roger Vevier for Christian Dior.
Caroline Groves Parakeet Shoes.
Invisible Naked Version by Andreia Chaves.
Sophia Webster.
Shoes: Pleasure and Pain will debut on June 13, 2015, and will run until January 31, 2016.