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A fascinating exhibition is afoot at Pacific Place this month, delving into the exquisite torture of footwear
A fascinating exhibition is afoot at Pacific Place this month, delving into the exquisite torture of footwear
Shoes are complex fashion objects. They stir obsessions, indicate the wearer’s class and status, instil confidence and, sometimes, impart pain. In a word, they are transformative. It is from this premise that the exhibition Shoes: Pleasure and Pain, opening at Pacific Place at the end of this month, takes its cue. First presented at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 2016, the show explores the weird and wonderful world of footwear design and the cultural significance shoes have held through the centuries.
It presents a remarkable collection of shoes from around the globe and from different times in history. Curator Helen Persson has divided them into five themes—transformation, Status, Seduction, Creation and Obsession. Interestingly, they are not all pretty heels and drool-worthy pumps. There are 19th-century Chinese silk slippers made for bound feet, chopines (clogs) from 16th-century Venice, and silver Indian silver toe-knob sandals known as padukas, offering glimpses of the ceremonial values past societies have bestowed on footwear. There is also a pair of Christian Louboutin fetish shoes, whose high heels have been bent almost parallel with the sole, making them impossible to walk in—a clear example of the extremes of design that items of footwear can represent.
Along with these small-scale architectural achievements—there is no more apt description—the exhibition exudes plenty of modern-day glam. Included in the collection are iconic designs from Salvatore Ferragamo, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Vivienne Westwood, Roger Vivier, Karl Lagerfeld and Zaha Hadid, as are footwear owned by or associated with high-profile figures such as David Beckham, Kylie Minogue and Elton John.
Some local content has been added to the show, too. For the Obsession section delving into the practices of avid shoe collectors, actress and singer Karen Mok has loaned 14 pairs of shoes from her own personal wardrobe.
Shoes: Pleasure and Pain runs at Pacific Place from September 27 to October 28. GILTY PLEASURES From top: Slippers made for bound feet in China; Indian padukas traditionally worn by the bride at her wedding ceremony; Scotty boots by Atalanta Weller; and qabaqib heels from 19th-century Egypt hong kong tatler . september 2018