FEET FIRST: London’s Victoria & Albert museum will take a look at “the transformative power of extreme footwear” in its summer fashion exhibition. The exhibition, titled “Shoes: Pleasure and Pain,” is to run from June 13 through to Jan. 31, 2016.
The show is to showcase more than 200 pairs of historic and contemporary shoes and will explore the “agonizing aspect of wearing shoes as well as the euphoria and obsession they can inspire,” the V&A said. The exhibition will showcase the work of over 70 named designers, among them Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, Prada, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Sophia Webster. The show is sponsored by Clarks and supported by Agent Provocateur.
Helen Persson, the exhibition’s curator said: “Shoes are one of the most telling aspects of dress. Beautiful, sculptural objects, they are also powerful indicators of gender, status, identity, taste and even sexual preference,” she said. “Our choice in shoes can help project an image of who we want to be.”