COURT SHOES OF CLEAR NYLON
PARIS. - Perugia, one of the most famous shoe designers in France has launched a court shoe in nylon, of which only the slim heel and sole are visible.The uppers are transparent, and worn with sheer nylon stocking. The effect is striking and beautiful.
Eunice AireySUN (Sidney - August 17, 1949)
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1950 | Dorian Leigh | detail
Photograph: Gjon Mili
Source: Google Art Project
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The look on supermodel Dorian Leigh reads like: “Where’s my shoe?”. Which is precisely our question too: where is this Perugia stocking shoe?
We will find it eventually, it’s only a matter of time. Meanwhile you can look at the next best thing made one year later by Beth Levine and universally known as “Gigi Stocking Shoe” as seen December 18, 1950 in LIFE magazine. It was showcased with a full page within the feature “Lingerie Theatrics”.
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1950 | Gigi Stocking Shoe | Beth & Herbert Levine | detail
Photograph: Gjon Mili
Source: Google Art Project
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According to Helene Verin - author of “Beth Levine Shoes” - Gigi was created in early 1950: “… a stoking was inserted between two layers of sole and drawn up over the foot and leg”.
LIFE called it Can-Can Stockings (December 18, 1950) and added the following caption:
“Black nylon net opera-length hose, like those traditionally worn by Moulin Rouge dancers, now come permanently attached to high-heeled satin mules (Herbert Levine, $30). They are sexy to look at but hard to launder.”
Sexy, but hard to launder? Only LIFE.
ANDRE PERUGIA
BOTTIER DE LUXE
D O S S I E R
FOOTNOTES
[SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT]
SHOE DESIGNING TODAY
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1950 | Dorian Leigh wearing Gigi stocking Shoes
Photograph: Gjon Mili
Source: LIFE magazine - December 18, 1950
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FOOTNOTES
[SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT]
While our focus is strictly on Perugia, we cannot help but notice that both pairs of the Gigi Stocking Shoe kept at The Metropolitan Museum of Art are given the date 1953.
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Gigi Stocking Shoe
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SHOE DESIGNING TODAY
It's of no importance whatsoever but the model pictured here below was called by someone "a statement shoe"; others went for "avantgardist as never seen before". Loss of memory or worse?
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S/S 2018 - Dior
What would you do? Change model or shoe-size?
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