1921 | HELLSTERN IN VOGUE | PART 2

"As can be seen from the following images, the shoes probably never held so much room in the feminine toilet. There are models for every hour of the day, from the light sandals for the morning until the rich evening shoes embroidered with gold and silver."

1921 | Hellstern

Source: Vogue France

"Model in gray leather with pointed toe, with a vamp originally lined in black and decorated with an oblong black and silver buckle."

1921 | Hellstern

Source: Vogue France

"The wide barrette of this grey suede afternoon shoe is adorned with a black lining and a very elegant rosette in grey grosgrain."

1921 | Hellstern

Source: Vogue France

"A rounded toe distinguishes this black leather shoe cut in the shape of a sandal and all seams are lined in white kidskin."

1921 | Hellstern

Source: Vogue France

"The pointed toe of this grey suede shoe is highlighted by black leather that covers the back and the instep and forms narrow stripes."

1921 | HELLSTERN IN VOGUE
PART 1

A LA RECHERCHE DU
HELLSTERN PERDU

Hellstern & Sons | Insole label

© Romans; Musée international de la Chaussure

1921 | HELLSTERN IN VOGUE | PART 1

1921 | Hellstern

Source: Vogue France

"The bottom of the skirt goes more and more down on the shoes and a lot of dresses are in very rich fabrics. And yet the shoes far from resume their modest place as before the war, take more fancy and sumptuousness than the dresses."

1921 | HellsternSource: Vogue France

"This elegant sandal-shaped evening shoe has both golden toe and heel. Adorned with golden embroidery in the back, it has the instep trimmed with a golden ornament."

1921 | Hellstern

Source: Vogue France

"The fur, which is often used for shoes, enriches this black satin court shoe with a beaver rosette retained by a rhinestones buckle."

1921 | Hellstern

Source: Vogue France

"A new oval silver buckle embellished with fringes, adorns the straps of this black satin evening shoe. The heel is also silver."

1921 | Hellstern

Source: Vogue France

"The fashion of the colored heels matching the ornaments of the shoe also influences the home shoes as showed in this model by Hellstern, very successful, in fine red and blue leather."

1921 | HELLSTERN IN VOGUE
PART 2

A LA RECHERCHE DU 

HELLSTERN PERDU

Hellstern & Sons | Insole label

© Romans; Musée international de la Chaussure

1961 | BOLOGNA | NATIONAL SHOWCASE FASHION FOOTWEAR EXHIBITION

1961 | Bologna | Fashion Footwear Exhibition

Nice uh? | Unknown producer

Source: Fiera di Bologna 1961 catalog

Within the Bologna Trade Fair the Footwear industry always got the spotlight thanks to high end producers such as Vaccari, Saguatti, Romagnoli, Magli and Bruno Cavalli, to name just a few. And then, all of a sudden, everything disappeared. That’s why we consider nothing short of a miracle the surfacing of this dusty catalog in a flea market somewhere. No names mentioned - besides local politicians and visiting ministers, but still worth the price of admission.

Go here for a closer look of the exhibited models.

1961 | National Showcase Fashion Footwear poster

Source: Fiera di Bologna 1961 catalog

1961 | National Showcase Fashion Footwear poster

Exhibition area | detail

Source: Fiera di Bologna 1961 catalog

1961 | National Showcase Fashion Footwear

Window displays (second from right: Valentino from Naples)

Source: Fiera di Bologna 1961 catalog

1961 | Bologna | Fashion Footwear Exhibition

Unknown producers

Source: Fiera di Bologna 1961 catalog

1961 | Bologna | Fashion Footwear Exhibition

Fur-lined pump | Unknown producer

Source: Fiera di Bologna 1961 catalog

1961 | Bologna | Fashion Footwear Exhibition

I think I’ll take all three

Source: Fiera di Bologna 1961 catalog

1961 | PARABIAGO FOOTWEAR
AT THE XV BOLOGNA EXHIBITION

1961 | ROTELLI | VARESE
AT THE XV BOLOGNA EXHIBITION

1961 | Aerial view of downtown Bologna from Torre Degli Asinelli

Source: Fiera di Bologna 1961 catalog

'CELLULOID HEEL' | PART 2

1921 | Still frame from “Two Weeks with Pay”

Celluloid hells on the big screen

Source: Shoe Icons

SHOES ARE MADE OF … 

The list of materials used in manufacturing of footwear is nearly limitless, ranging from the most obvious and easily accessible like grass, bark, leather, wood and other natural staple to the most exotic ones like gold, silver, rare skins, semi-precious stones and, of course, ubiquitous nowadays - plastics. 

2015 | Nazim Mustafaev
Shoe Icons

That was the beginning of the original “Celluloid Heel” study published online back in 2015 and available here. Three more years and the already thorough research - now expanded - got a well deserved book treatment.

It works as a teaser for the book, where the good stuff are multiplied tenfold, like these pictures here below.

1900’s | White Studios | New York

Study of a lady’s leg in pump with celluloid covered heels decorated with rhinestones.

Source: Celluloid Heel (Shoe Icons Publishing, 2018)

1920’s | Great Britain

Multicoloured striped upper shoes with celluloid heels decorated with rhinestones.

Source: Celluloid Heel (Shoe Icons Publishing, 2018)

1910-1913 | Eperon d’Or | Belgium

Source: Celluloid Heel (Shoe Icons Publishing, 2018)

CONCLUSION 

There is no conclusion. The beauty never ends. Once again I am fascinated by the fact that such a practical, heavy duty part of a shoe can be turned into real piece of art that sometimes outlives the shoe itself. 

2015 | Nazim Mustafaev
Shoe Icons

CELLULOID HEEL
PART 1



Additional info:

Nazim Mustafaev
At Shoe Icons

Shoe Icons
On Instagram

HERE an extract from the book.

Heel pattern

Source: Celluloid Heel (Shoe Icons Publishing, 2018)

'CELLULOID HEEL' BY NAZIM MUSTAFAEV (SHOE ICONS PUBLISHING)

Shoe Icons’ Nazim Mustafaev established himself as one of a kind collector. Unlike any other collector, he shares his discoveries and likes to dig deep in order to unearth all there is to know about a certain item. In other words, he works like a museum should; meaning more than one museum we know should look up Nazim’s work and feel a deep shame for what they offer - with tax money - to the public.

1874 | I. S. & J. Hyatt

Apparatus And Processes For Holding Celluloids

Source: Celluloid Heel (Shoe Icons Publishing, 2018)

Three years ago Nazim published on his website an in depth research about celluloid heels (still available here). It was - and remains - unprecedented. When we saw it we though: this must be in a book. So, like he was reading our minds, he soldiered on, researched some more and published a book.

1920’s F. Weil & E. Petit & Cie (France)

Wooden Heels covered in black celluloid

Source: Celluloid Heel (Shoe Icons Publishing, 2018)

Materials, construction methods, patents, innovators, historical annotations, vintage ads and striking photographs make “Celluloid Heel” a worth addition to your library even if you have a mild interest in footwear and a book or two about the subject. Probably he didn’t have fashionistas in mind when he wrote it, but “Celluloid Heels” even contains materials that might strike contemporary Instagrammers/bloggers; it is that good.

Instagram material from:

Celluloid Heel (Shoe Icons Publishing, 2018)

Like all the really good things, “Celluloid Heels” cannot be purchased at the bookstore round the corner (do they still exists? Bookstores, not corners, that is), but available directly from the author: a quick email to Nazim and he’ll send back all the details.

It’s worth it, believe me.

ca. 1925 | I. Miller & Sons

Source: Celluloid Heel (Shoe Icons Publishing, 2018)

CELLULOID HEEL

PART 2

Additional info:

Nazim Mustafaev
At Shoe Icons

Shoe Icons
On Instagram

HERE an extract from the book.

Celluloid Heel by Nazim Mustafaev

Shoe Icons Publishing (2018)

1934/35 | LUDOVICO PATRICELLI FOR MARI SHOE FACTORY | PESCARA

Nel panorama calzaturiero italiano di inizio '900, a fatica si recuperano i nomi di diversi produttori e cercare i nomi dei creatori di calzature prima di Ferragamo è opera da archeologi. Alla fine degli anni '20 e negli anni '30, però, cominciarono a specializzarsi anche in Italia gli stilisti della calzatura. L'accorciarsi delle gonne favorì lo sviluppo di nuove forme e modelli che andarono a sostituire il tradizionale stivaletto. I nuovi stilisti fecero un lavoro da ricercatori delle nuove tendenze e di interpreti nei confronti delle aziende produttive. Sull'asse del Sempione erano molto attivi, anche come divulgatori, i modellisti Adriano Travaglia e Mario Moroni. 

At the beginning of the 20th century, the names of the Italian footwear producers are all lost in time. Finding shoe designers' names before Ferragamo is a rarity, archeology stuff. However, at the end of the 1920s and the beginning of the 1930s, shoe stylists began to operate in Italy: shortened skirts favoured the development of new shapes/models that replaced the traditional ankle boots. They did a researcher-type job of new trends and translated it for shoe factories. In the Milan area the modelists Adriano Travaglia and Mario Moroni were also very active as technical communicators.

Didascalia originale/Original caption:

Due scarpine da sera, una in crespo di seta rossa graziosamente increspata, mentre l'altra più ricercata è a strisciette di pelle in tinta di pastello e di pelle dorata. Modelli MARI - Creazione Patricelli 

Two evening shoes: on the left crêpe red silk: on the right a more elaborated shoe with gold and pastel colored strips. Models by MARI - Patricelli Creations.

1934 | MARI designed by Ludovico Patricelli

Source: Lidel  

Uno stilista della calzatura di quel periodo fu Ludovico Patricelli di Pescara.
I modelli delle foto qui sotto furono realizzati in collaborazione con il calzaturificio Mari, fondato da Celso Barbaresi nel 1925 a Portocivitanova (oggi frazione di Civitanova Marche) e successivamente di proprietà dei fratelli Ribichini.

A footwear designer of that period was Ludovico Patricelli from Pescara.

The models of the photos below were made in collaboration with the shoe factory Mari, founded by Celso Barbaresi in 1925 in Portocivitanova (now part of Civitanova Marche) and later owned by the Ribichini brothers.

Didascalia originale:/Original caption

"Per sera questo elegante sandalino di morbida pelle dorata"

"For the evening, this elegant sandal in golden leather"

1935 | MARI designed by Ludovico Patricelli

Source: Lidel magazine

Didascalia originale:/Original caption

"Sandalo da sera di antilope nera, con passantini intrecciati di pelle d'argento o dorata"

"Evening sandal of black antelope, with intertwined passers in golden or silver leather"

1935 | MARI designed by Ludovico Patricelli

Source: Lidel magazine

SS 33 

DATABASE OF THE THE PARABIAGO FOOTWEAR DISTRICT | [AND VICINITY]

A WORK IN PROGRESS

1955 - 2018 | ANDRE PERUGIA GENDERLESS

1955 | André Perugia for Jacques Fath

Photograph: Joël Garnier

Source: André Perugia. Collection Privée Charles Jourdan pamphlet

Francesco Russo

F/W 2016 | $ 995

Two years ago we caught Francesco Russo doing a Perugia. We thought it was the usual one-off, a quick shortcut to complete a shoe collection, a momentary lack of creativity.

Inexcusable - besides the great choice - because André Perugia went uncredited once again. It wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last.

But no, it wasn’t a one-off.

2018 | Francesco Russo

Model: Oslo Grace | Photograph: Johan Sandberg

Source: Vogue.com

Enter the genderless collection (A - Gender, as they called it):

“It’s very defined in the market, what is for men and what is for women, but the reality is: that definition, which is a gendered definition, is out of date. It’s not a polemic, it’s not political. It’s simply how society is moving forward. I think it’s in our duty as people who produce product to respond to the world.” 

Francesco Russo
Vogue.com | September 25, 2018

Right, it’s not polemic, nor political, it’s ethical: also your duty to give credit where credit is due, designer.


ANDRE PERUGIA
D O S S I E R
[Plenty of ideas for aspiring designers]

1970 | WHEN GENDERLESS WAS A NEW THING
RUDI GERNREICH'S VISION

André Perugia

For I.Miller

Insole detail

1952 | ANDRE PERUGIA | HEELSTORY

This is a serious contender of the most beautiful sandal in the world. Designed at the same time, it’s another stroke of genius in the series of Perugia’s metal heel.

1952 | André Perugia

Arched metal heel | Patent paperwork

Filed March 14, 1952 | Patented May 27, 1952

Source: Google Patents

Unfortunately, unless hidden in the vault of Romans’ Museum de la Chaussure, no actual Perugia shoe can be found with such a heel. It comes to our rescue Robert Clergerie with a 2007 sandal that employ the very same arched metal heel.

1952 | André Perugia

Arched metal heel | Patent paperwork

2007 | Robert Clergerie

Source: Shoes A-Z by Jonathan Walford (Thames 7 Hudson, 2010)

We insist calling this practise stealing, but at least Robert Clergerie ALWAYS acknowledged André Perugia as his master in many interviews.

HERITAGE (THEY CALLED IT)

“Discover the MABELA, sock boot on our exclusive metal heel.”
CLERGERIE
From the official Clergerie Instagram page (August 28, 2018)

2018 | Clergerie | SS 2019

Enjoy the “exclusive metal heel”

Source: Clergerie Instagram page

Robert Clergerie (the man) is no longer part of Clergerie (the brand): however the new brand employ the same tactic, but without due credit where credit is due.

“The exclusive metal heel” was feed to costume/fæshon journalists as part of the Clergerie archive, and they fell for it (see last picture down here). Brilliant.

ANDRE PERUGIA

D O S S I E R 

Well, it’s nothing new, isn’ it? Every season there’s someone who invent a Perugia heel somewhere. More recently here and here.

“The arched heel inspired by the archive”

Whose archive?

Source: Corriere della Sera daily | September 27, 2018

1962 | CLAES OLDENBURG | WHITE GYM SHOES

1963 - 1969 | Bedroom Ensemble Replica | detail

Claes Oldenburg

Source: Claes Oldenburg: An Anthology (Guggenheim Museum Publications, 1995)

MORE SHOES FROM
CLAES OLDENBURG (1961/1963)

SHOES & ART
1832 - 2013

1962 | White Gym Shoes | Claes Oldenburg

Muslim soaked in plaster over wire frame, painted with enamel 

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles - The Panza Collection

Source: Claes Oldenburg: An Anthology (Guggenheim Museum Publications, 1995)