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| André Perugia One sided cutaway with stacked spheres heel mule As seen in the movie NEW FACES [1954] |
Oltre che per la voce, Eartha attirò immediatamente le simpatie degli stilisti francesi grazie alla presenza sensuale e magnetica :
"Jacques Fath, Pierre Balmain, Madame Schiaparelli e molti altri stilisti mi misero a disposizione tutto ciò che era rimasto dopo le loro sfilate stagionali. Ero la squattrinata meglio vestita di tutta Parigi. Mi ritrovai con un ricco guardaroba dei migliori sarti parigini che mi chiamavano dicendo "Erzà, c'è qualcosa qui che son sicuro che andrebbe bene per te, qualcosa di indossato nelle sfilate che Monsieur Fath vorrebbe che avessi tu."
Singer-actress Eartha Kitt (1927-2008) arrived in Paris in the late '40s thanks to a scholarship with the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe. Soon her solo career was launched by Fred Carroll, owner of Carroll's nightclub and her debut was hailed by the press as 'The most exciting thing that has happened in Paris in twenty-five years.’
Eartha immediately attracted the attentions of French designers thanks to her sensual and magnetic appearance:
“Jacques Fath, Pierre Balmain, Madame Schiaparelli and several other designers gave me anything that was left over from their seasonal fashion shows. I was the best dressed pauper in Paris. I collected an extensive wardrobe from the best of the Paris couturiers, who would call me and say, 'Erza, there is somesing here I am sure would be good for you, somesing left over from the fashion show that Mr Fath would like you to have.”
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1950 | December, 23 | Eartha Kitt in Paris
Mules | One sided cutaway with stacked spheres heels by Perugia
Source: New York Times/Associated Press
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1950 | December, 23
Eartha Kitt in Paris Well Shod in Perugia's | Detail |
Source: New York Times/Associated press
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Jacques Fath in particolare divenne un suo grande amico (lo citò anche nella canzone “Monotonous” del 1952: “Jack Fath creò per me un nuovo stile“) e con lui arrivò anche André Perugia, che disegnava per Fath proprio in quegli anni.
Per la serata di inaugurazione del nuovo locale di Fred Carroll, Le Perroquet:
Jacques Fath in particular, became a close friend of hers (he was also quoted in her song ‘Monotonous’ in 1952: “Jack Fath made a new style for me“) and so was André Perugia, who then designed shoes for Fath.
For the grand opening of Le Perroquet, Fred Carroll's new night-club:
Per la serata di inaugurazione del nuovo locale di Fred Carroll, Le Perroquet:
"avevo ricevuto un intero nuovo guardaroba da Jacques Fath, che adorava il mio corpo. [...] Quella sera indossavo un abito bianco in raso di seta, decorato con piume di garzetta, con una mantellina in tinta. Le scarpe, fatte espressamente per me da Perugia, vennero pagate da Fred e suo fratello."E poi aggiunge:
"Indossavo un abito bianco in raso di seta, decorato con piume di garzetta, le scarpe fatte apposta per me da Perugia, a tallone scoperto, ed ero spaventata a morte."
Jacques Fath in particular, became a close friend of hers (he was also quoted in her song ‘Monotonous’ in 1952: “Jack Fath made a new style for me“) and so was André Perugia, who then designed shoes for Fath.
For the grand opening of Le Perroquet, Fred Carroll's new night-club:
“I had received a completely new wardrobe from Jacques Fath, who adored my body. [...] This evening I had a white silk satin dress trimmed with egret feathers, with a matching coat. Shoes made especially for me by Perugia were paid for by Fred and her brother.”Then she adds:
“I wore a white silk gown trimmed with egret feathers, my specially made open-back shoes from Perugia, and I was scared to death.”
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| [Year Unknown] Eartha Kitt Shod in Perugia's An alteration without spheres ornament Source: All Star Pics |
Eartha rimase legata a lungo a quelle scarpe dal tacco così particolare. Dalla prima apparizione del 1950 sino al 1954 (almeno), anno della realizzazione del film "New Faces" tratto dallo spettacolo teatrale di Broadway "Leonard Sillman's New Faces Of 1952").
Eartha enjoyed very much those shoes and that peculiar heel design: from the 1950 debut to 1954 (at least) when the movie "New Faces" premiered (taken from the Broadway production "Leonard Sillman's New Faces Of 1952").
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| 1954 | Eartha Kitt Movie production still from Leonard Sillman's "New Faces" Source: ebay (history-agent) |
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| 1954 | Eartha Kitt | Detail Movie production still from Leonard Sillman's "New Faces" Source: ebay (history-agent) |
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| André Perugia Stacked spheres heel mule | As seen in the movie NEW FACES [1954] Source: Heavenly Soles by Mary Trasko [1989 Cross River Press] |
La didascalia della mule di Perugia tratta dal Libro "Heavenly Soles" recita così:
Modello di PERUGIA indossato da Josephine Baker nel film Zou Zou, 1934. (Museo Charles Jourdan, Romans).
e viene totalmente smentita da quanto sopra.
The caption of the Perugia mule taken from "Heavenly Soles" says:
Model by PERUGIA worn by Josephine Baker in the film Zou Zou, 1934. (Musée Charles Jourdan, Romans)".
and is completely disproved by all of the above.
SOURCES:
Eartha Kitt | Confessions Of A Sex Kitten | Barricade Books, Incorporated, 1989
Eartha Kitt by Adrian Jack [The Guardian, Monday 29 December 2008]
1950 | HEELSTORY |
ANDRE PERUGIA ON THE BALL
TALON À BOULES
FOOTNOTE
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| 1952 | Eartha Kitt | Are those Perugia's?? From "Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1952" | Royale Theatre | New York Source: Museum Of The City Of New York |
Interessante notare che, sino ad oggi, tra tutte le celebrità, attrici, ballerine, regnanti e/o reali calzate da Perugia, il nome di Eartha Kitt non era mai stato menzionato.
Worth of note is that - up until now - Eartha Kitt was never mentioned among the ranks of celebs, actresses, dancers, queens and/or royalties shod in Perugia's.