That Art Nouveau connection |

For some critics the Art Nouveau age produced narcissistic art for art’s sake. Yet I can’t deny that the beauty of line and graceful forms of some pieces of Art Nouveau architecture or furniture really fascinate me.

Many artists, architects and interior designers considered part of this movement took delight in ornamentation and injected creative and dynamic energies into their pieces.

The first time I visited Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Hill House in Helensburgh, I absolutely fell in love with it, I loved the dark wood lining of the study and living room, but also the lighter stencilled motifs of abstract forms in pink, purple and green in the hall.

I also find rather fascinating the stylised metal tendrils inspired by vegetable forms designed by French architect Hector Guimard for Paris’ Metro, and Eugène Gaillard’s pieces of furniture with their sinuous and flowing lines.

I usually found links between footwear and architecture in previous posts, but I recently discovered a link between footwear and the pure lines of Art Nouveau in Kerrie Luft’s collection.

The designer based her latest collection on lines abstracted from nature, coming up with delicate creamy heels that reproduce in their shapes a sense of abstract dynamism, or elaborate metal cage-like heels, with a colour scheme that calls back to mind boudoir or dressing room atmospheres.

Luft’s “Alaia”, “Ava”, “Celiene”, “Diana”, “Eden”, “Saffron”, “Sienna” and “Stella” shoes preserve a structural and decorative harmony and you can try to spot further connections between the forms of Art Nouveau and Luft's footwear or get to know more about her inspirations in my interview with her on Dazed Digital.