Rare pair of Ferragamo shoes on display
THE next Antiques Fair and Vintage Market at the National Botanic Garden of Wales will be held this weekend and a rare pair of Salvatore Ferragamo (shoemaker to the stars) vintage shoes will be on display.
Salvatore Ferragamo was an Italian shoe designer and the founder of luxury goods high-end retailer. Ferragamo worked with many Hollywood stars in the 1920s. As Hollywood’s most famous shoe designer, Salvatore Ferragamo created some of the most legendary shoes ever featured in film. He made sandals for the Cecil B DeMille epic The Ten Commandments. And Dorothy’s ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz were also made by Ferragamo. Marilyn Monroe’s sexy stilettos in The Seven Year Itch – Ferragamo again. Other film credits include Some Like It Hot, Mildred Pierce and The Postman Always Rings Twice.
What made Ferragamo shoes such a hot item was his innovation, creativity and dedication to quality. There were other classically-trained Italian shoemakers in the world, and other fashion designers, but it was rare for both to come together so perfectly in the work of one man.
Something else which was unique about Salvatore was his belief that fashion did not have to be painful. Why couldn’t one design shoes which were as comfortable to wear as they were beautiful to behold?
His scientific and creative approach to shoes spawned many innovations such as the wedge heel and cage heel. Film stars and celebrities continue to patronise his company, which has evolved into an international empire spanning the world.
Salvatore Ferragamo was born in 1898 to a poor family in Bonito, Italy, near Avellino, the 11th of 14 children. After making his first pair of shoes for himself, a pair of high heels, at age nine (and his sisters to wear at their confirmation), young Salvatore decided that he had found his calling.
Salvatore Ferragamo died in 1960 at the age of 62, but his name lives on as an international company, which has expanded its operations to include bags, eyewear, silk accessories, watches, perfumes and a ready-towear clothing line.
The pair of shoes will be on display at the National Botanic Garden of Wales Antiques Fair and Vintage market in the Glasshouse.
The fair will be showcasing Welsh areas of collecting including pottery, art and furniture. Richard Bebb will be displaying a rich array of Welsh paintings including artists such as Kyffin Williams. Wales is celebrating the centenary of this most famous of Welsh artists this year.
Welsh textiles will also be a main feature at the fair. There will be a huge range of Welsh tapestry blankets on display with their extensive colour range and intrinsic patterns.
Among the quality stands will be a selection of militaria stands, displaying some very unusual items from the past including rare medals, military swords and vintage fire arms. From furniture to fishing reels, tin plate toys to exquisite jewellery, most areas of collecting can be found.
The fair opens at 10am and closes at 4.30pm today and tomorrow. Admission to the garden and for the antiques weekend is just £4. Entry is free for garden members and parking is free for all. Dogs are now welcomed into the fair this weekend. For more information about the fairs contact Brita Rogers on 01267 220260 or 07790 293367 or visit www.derwenantiques. co.uk or Facebook.