“Shoes must have very high heels and platforms to put women’s beauty on a pedestal” – Vivienne Westwood

Sorry I've been such a lazy blogger!!
Last week a good friend of mine got me a ticket for the opening of the Vivienne Westwood shoe exhibition at The Bowes Museum.





Such an amazing night- the shoes are fabulous! (i even bagged myself a gold VW water bottle).

I felt a very lucky girl since The Bowes is the only UK venue for the world tour!!

The exhibition features over 40 years worth of Westwood's creations and is a perfect homage to the ingenuity of her design. Her shoes defy the rules of practical footwear, and push boundaries to the limits. It was such a fantastic opportunity to see these amazing creations up close. Each one of them is like a piece of wearable art.

















Westwood’s designs are a result of considered and distinctive influences - 16th Century Dutch Delft pottery as the inspiration for her 1996 Toile Print Boot, British colonialism is reflected in the Sahara Plimsoll of 1999, Victorian dandyism influencing the 1996 Trompe l’Oeil Boot and Westwood’s nurse inspired 15.5 centimetre heel Mary Janes of Erotic Zones a salute to S/M and fetishism.


1996 Toile Print Boot

From the Sex Pistols t-shirts to her iconic orb, VW's pieces seem to capture a fragment of history. Her shoes too have understandably gained a reputation and created memorable fashion moments - one of the most memorable being the tumbling of Naomi Campbell on the catwalk in 1993 while wearing the Super Elevated Gillie.



One of her most iconic designs are the Pirate Boots, first seen in 1981 and still being produced and in demand now!!





See the exhibition's mention on the Vogue website here



The exhibition runs from 10th June- 10th July 2011 so if you're in the area be sure to go see them while they're in the UK, before they're sent off to Japan, New York and China!