dreamscape

Creations from the Rodarte archives, as inhabited by Dorte Limkilde, Ondria Hardin and Carrie-Anne Burton, were shot by Nan Goldin for the f/w issue of Grey Magazine. Rodarte designs often seem to me to have a life of their own - it's a treat to see pieces from previous years cavorting around the Chateau Marmont. Lovely styling by Valentina Illardi Martin. Scroll through the Rodarte tumblr for more...

   

PS. It's been four years, and I'm still obsessed with the spiky pumps...

PPS. We now have a 50s stove like the one Carrie-Anne Burton is boiling the kettle on above! A. spotted it at a junk shop and now it sits, gleaming and perfectly functional, in our kitchen, silently encouraging me to bake more.

 Photos: fashion gone rogue

spike watch

Posh Spice wore my coveted Rodarte heels in London last night. They don't really work for me in that pink-gold metallic though.

(unless, perhaps, they were paired with funky socks like Jopsu's)

I'm still torn between the curved spikeys from spring 08 (below) and their re-interpreted design for fall... what do you think? Or are they a little too "Medieval torture chamber" for your taste?



photos: style, dlisted, Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images, Tommy

deep breaths ladies

I'm writing a long and scary paper on Ancient plagues at the moment, but in case you have a more exciting weekend lined up, here is a little shoe porn to get your Saturday on fashionable track.

Photos are by Tommy, fellow Torontonian, and extreme style hunter.

Any favourites? My boot brain automatically yearns for Stella McCartney's sculptural wedges, while the fashion beast within rages for the Rodarte spikeys.

Back to buboes. Have a fun weekend.

heel boy

I'm not quite so obsessed with heels that I require my furniture to wear them, but in case you are, check out the newly launched Virtual Shoe Museum. Even non foot fetishists may enjoy browsing through the immaculately categorized website.

I think the Versailles collection by Yazbukey is my favourite to look at, but that may be because Marie Antoinette comes out on DVD today, and I've got Paris, french macaroons and corsets on the brain (more than usual that is)...

via: minirobot

from the mouths of males

I've had a love/hate relationship with these Balenciaga booties since they first came down the runway... At first I thought "hideous generalus!", but they grew on me after a few months, and now I'm at the point where I sketch little Balenciaga hooves next to my notes in class, and dream of what trips to the grocery store would be like if I had 5 inches of solid Ghesquière beneath me... The fact that these boots would cost more than one month's rent in Paris (and are therefore ludicrously unattainable) only fuels the fantasy fire, so it is at times like this when a man's brutal honesty can be refreshing:

"Let me be completely honest here, those shoes, when not placed on a woman’s foot, are structurally and aesthetically sexy (maybe it’s the S&M and not the H&M in me). But when said shoe is placed on an actual foot, that woman begins to resemble a goat. A female goat, yes, but a goat none-the-less"

Wrong perhaps, but refreshing.

See, a random fact that I didn't include in the "sixes" post is that we used to have a goat farm. I loved our goats very much but don't want to look like one. I don't really want to look like Mary-Kate Olsen either (this would actually be impossible so I'm more worried about the goat bit) however these boots have me in high smit, and I am interested in your verdict...

The Balenciaga bootie...
	Goatlike?
	Gorgeous?
	Undecided.

via NYCydney

gratuitous, gorgeous grey

Socks and sandals in winter... I love this look and have recently stepped over the odd snowbank with feet warmly ensconced in NOT BOOTS but strappy wedgelike heels and black stockings. A stylish fallback for everyone, even if you are not Parisienne and featured in the photos above. Any favourites? I'm guessing #1 will be popular...

merci Géraldine

zapatos mágicos

Well, Toronto is into dreary January, and as I was longing for a little culture and beauty in the midst of grey commerce, I chanced upon an unadvertised, gently hidden artistic treat...

I am referring to the unique work of Toronto based artist and photographer Marina Dempster, whose fantastical shoes are on display at the Bata Shoe Museum until January 19th. Although not advertised, this artist’s work definitely deserves viewing. For those of us who combine a love of extravagant shoes with an appreciation for talented artists, Dempster’s work is a must see. She has created extraordinary shoe sculptures which are a contemporary interpretation of the traditional artwork of the Huichol people in Mexico.

After I saw her shoe sculptures, I contacted Marina Dempster, and she graciously agreed to be interviewed. As she explained, the Huichol people have existed since pre-Colombian times, and it is likely that they are related to the Aztecs. They call themselves ‘the healers’ and believe that the perpetuation of life and the protection of nature’s creations is their responsibility. Their art form is known as yarn painting, and it involves the covering of everyday objects with intricate embellishment, serving a healing and story telling function, Dempster related, particularly as the Huichols have no written language.

This artist told me that she found herself drawn to the technique of yarn painting. The artistic process begins with covering the discarded object, in this case shoes, with a combination of beeswax and pine resin warmed and softened, then spread on the surface. This covering is then embedded with yarn or beads until the entire surface of the object is implanted. Dempster emphasized that this labour intensive process is contemplative, and for her has lead to communication and learning between cultures.

For this viewer, the sheer spectacle of exuberant colour is the first pleasure offered by these storytelling shoes. They practically sing with bright green, red, blue, orange and turquoise. The second is the elaborate and absolute decoration, as every part of the shoe is beautifully embellished. Porcupine quills and lavish feathers extrude from some shoes, while others sparkle with dozens of tiny mirrors.

Dempster described her work as a hybrid of multicultural ethnography and haute couture. When asked about the message her shoes have for viewers, she replied “my only hope is that the work brings light to people’s faces... that the pieces resonate with each viewer in a personal and meaningful way”. So, if you are visiting Toronto,or live here, treat yourself to the experience of Marina Dempster’s magical shoes.



You can find more about Marina Dempster here.