Salvatore Ferragamo And Vivienne Westwood 1427

When the shoe was invented it's purpose was to protect the foot but it is now more of a fashion accessory. It has evolved and changed with the help of the designers. On analysing the work of the contemporary postmodernism designer Vivienne Westwood ( 1941 - ) and the more traditional art deco designer Salvatore Ferragamo ( 1898 - 1960 ) I have found that they have both influenced shoe designs in their own particular ways. I have focused on a variety of Westwood's designs from late 1980's to early 90's and Ferragamo's designs from 1935 - 1947. Both designers have made eccentric and notable impacts by the style , use of materials , shape and colour used in the making of their shoes. Vivienne Westwood was born in Derbyshire , England in 1941. She began an immense career in fashion by designing and selling jewellery from a street market in London. By 1971 she had opened a clothes shop with Malcolm Mc Laren which originally sold second-hand clothes from the 1950's but soon started selling 'punk' clothes. Influenced mainly by the punk movement Westwood and Mc Laren began managing the famous punk band the 'Sex Pistols' in the seventies. Inspired by the rebellion of youths and street fashion her designs have a unique perspective. In 1992 Westwood was honoured with an OBE and even to this day she continues to create outrageous designs. One of Westwood's most outrageous designs is her 'Spiked Platform Heels' ( 1993 - 94 ). It has been designed using the theme of bondage. The shoe is made with green and white velvet which connects in elegant wavy lines. There is a long slim green velvet strip which wraps around the leg. With an elegant golden glow the heel shines up and down the narrow metal four inches. The toe end of the shoe is big and chunky while it works into becoming small and slim at the heel. This shoe mixes extravagance in its height with the elegance of the green and white velvet. I like how Westwood has mixed the shock factor of bondage with elegance resulting in such a fabulously extreme shoe leaving behind the cheap and tacky looks normally associated with bondage. This shoe is suited for young middle-class women as it would be expensive from the materials used and the time taken to craft this master piece. The 'Mock-croc Platform' ( 1993 - 94 ) has a very similar shape to the 'Spiked Platform Heels' though they do differ on many levels. Made from bright blue punched leather this design has a jazzy crocodile print on it. Westwood decided to go with artificial crocodile skin as in the 1980's there was a revulsion against the use of animal skin and furs in fashion. The use of artificial animal skin is an advance in materials. This design is more subtle than the previous as it has a chunkier heel. Unfortunately I feel that this shoe cannot pull off elegance with it only managing to look tacky. The chunky heel adds to the horrid look of the shoe. The thin long laces clash with the style of the chunky shape of the shoe. It is targeted at the rich women in their twenties but to be honest I feel it is only fit for a rich stripper. In my opinion the crocodile print looks cheap while the eccentric shade of blue does not add any sophistication at all. I feel that this time Westwood has taken extremes a bit too far. Unlike the over eccentric 'Mock croc Platforms' Westwood has found out how to tap into subtle beauty with the 'Rocking Horse Platform' ( 1987 ). These shoes were inspired by the fashion trends in the 1940's. The platform is inspired by rocking horses. It is made from wood with the heel section being mostly cut off apart from a small ledge. Made from black leather this shoe also contains a ballet theme. Black ribbon is used for the strap which wraps around the leg. I think that these shoes are a sexed up version of traditional ballet shoes. These shoes would be expensive as it would take a lot of time and materials to perfect them in this way. I feel they would be marketed at older teens or young women in their twenties as the ballet theme has youthful vibes. I like how Westwood has seamlessly combined old and new ideas together to make an elegant and yet child-like design. Salvatore Ferragamo was an eccentric designer like Westwood. Born into a poor family in South Italy in 1898 he became an apprentice shoe-maker at the age of eleven. At sixteen he emigrated to America as a qualified shoemaker. He settled in Santa Barbara and began creating shoes for the American Film Company. By 1923 he was creating shoes for biblical films in Hollywood. He decided to return to Italy in 1929 but soon after his company went bankrupt. Through hard work and persistence his business was soon thriving again. He was inspired by cubist art , nature and animals. In 1947 he won the Neiman Marcus award for his Invisible Shoe. Salvatore Ferragamo died of natural causes in 1960. Raised shoes have been around for centuries. Their original purpose was to protect the feet from mud and dirt but by the twentieth century their only purpose was to look good. The 'Platform Sole' and 'Heel Sandal' ( 1938 ) is similar to Westwood's platforms in height and extravagance. These interpretations of the

Venetian Chopine literally reached extravagant new heights. The heel is made from cork layers which are covered in suede. The heel consists of a variety of bright and extreme colours. The straps are a shiny golden colour with vibrant red stitching. These shoes would have been aimed at young women going out partying. They would have been expensive as it uses a lot of materials and would take a long time to make. Like Westwood's designs these are bold taking height and colour to extremes. It's eye-catching colours certainly gave it a funky style which would have influenced the platforms of the 1970's. The 'Sandal' from 1935 is in deep contrast to the previous design. Inspired by nature it has been made using natural materials. The heel is made using four corks. Raffia and straw have been used in the shoe as well as the straps being made from woven , polychrome raffia. At the time the way in which he used these materials was very innovative. This shoe would suit any woman. It should have been inexpensive as it is made from cheap materials but it probably wasn't as it is a Ferragamo design. This shoe is very 'back to nature' with the organic materials , simplistic design and floral pattern. This shoe was certainly a very practical solution to the wartime shortage of materials and it also encouraged less adventurous designers to try out these materials. From simplistic to fabulously adventurous. The 'Invisible shoe' ( 1947 ) is Ferragmo's most successful design. Looking at the oddly shaped curved heel you can tell that this shoe has been strongly influenced by Cubist art and shifting perspectives. In certain angles the heel looks like it is suspended in mid-air. The gleaming golden sheen of the shoe shows off the expensive elegance of this shoe. The straps are made from the new material of the day nylon as it is transparent and adds to the stylish futuristic look of the shoe. Suited for the older more elegant woman this shoe was criticised for being so expensive but you are paying for quality of the highest kind. With an unusual shape , thin subtle straps , use of new materials of the day and precious colour this shoe merges together magnificently to create one of the most beautiful shoes to ever have been created. Both designers have been out-going and adventurous to make changes but in different ways. Westwood set new standards for the out-going designers. She almost single-handedly kick started the post- modernism movement. This movement even managed to start a new relationship between art and fashion. Ferragamo on the other hand introduced new materials to the fashion world. He was one of the first great eccentrics who encouraged other designers to be more out-going. I prefer Ferragamo's Invisible Shoe as it contains sheer beauty. This is something that Westwood cannot convey through her designs. Both designers have inspired different kinds of people from different periods. Without both today's fashion would not be up to scratch.