polish artist erwina ziomkowska has taken used shoes and given them a new purpose. two kilograms (four and a half pounds) of pins are hammered into high heels, visually communicating the pain women sometimes put themselves through to fit the societal definition of beauty. the heads of the pins give the surface a reflective quality and texture, however, on the inside, the repetition of sharp points render the shoes unwearable.
kermit tesoro is a rising fashion design talent from the philippines who displayed his latest collectionwhich feature among other designs, a pair of skull heels. the shoes are an alabaster finish that integrates a small skull into the heel. the shoes come in variety of styles from straps to suede. this unusual motif was carried throughout the collection as demonstrated by the designs which used milled foam, bent wire or rubber tubing. the full collection was quite avant-garde despite its mostly monotone colour palette.
catwalk...
the red..
zipped...
timberland..
the yellow..
12/12/2011
kei kagami 10 year retrospective autumn/winter 2002, private collectionall images courtesy steinbeisser and the lloyd hotel
a 10 year retrospective of london-based japanese shoe designer kei kagami curated by steinbeisser is now on display at the lloyd hotel & cultural embassy in amsterdam. the exhibition is an encompassing a display of kagami and his design partner yoshi yamakuwa's unique relationship with their varied media and materials. kagami, a classically trained architect,worked with japan's kenzo tange before refocusing his craft to fashion. his body of work has a highly structured and experimental quality, influenced by his experience in architecture and also due to his work with radical fashion icon john galliano.each of the 60 pairs of hand-crafted shoes featured in the installation are conceptual, wearable, art work. the exhibition is open now until december 2nd.