In a previous post a couple of weeks ago we looked at a comparison between Cinzia Ruggeri and The Bohemian Society's new collection. Let's look today at another comparison, this time shoe-related.
Victoria’s Secret catwalk show that took place in New York on Wednesday evening, was, according to the press, one of the best ever staged by the lingerie brand. Yet what interested me, rather than the fancy lingerie, was the footwear by Nicholas Kirkwood, designed taking inspiration from six different themes, including “Circus”, “Silver Screen” and “Dangerous Liaisons”.
The shoes were typical Kirkwood – at times covered in crystals or glitter, or featuring his trademark towering platforms. Among the shoes and sandals featured in the show, there were also three different models in green shades that called to mind a pair of shoes designed in 1990 by Romeo Gigli (Spring/Summer collection).
The high heeled sandals, part of Kirkwood's interpretation of the "Angels in Bloom" theme, featured a vine-like strap that went up the calves. Gigli designed instead a flat shoe featuring a decorative rose with a stem that went up the calf. So, you may argue that, even though the shoes are different, they incorporate a similar decorative motif. Yet, Romeo Gigli's shoes weren't his own invention.
Gigli's shoes were indeed a new version of Cinzia Ruggeri's 1988 flat black shoes: in her case one shoe featured a red flower on the back of one heel, the other a stem that went up the calf. Gigli didn't do much apart from recombining the same motif in the same shoe and changing the colour of the flower of the shoe, but essentially the shape of the shoe, flower and stem concept remained the same.
Kirkwood's shoes won't be on sale as they were exclusively designed for the catwalk show, even though they can be made to order through Kirkwood's own shops.
There may be another option for shoe addicts, though: if you're lucky enough, you may be able to find in some vintage shop the shoes by Romeo Gigli, but certainly not the original ones by Cinzia Ruggeri that are less easy to find. Fun and at times surreal, Ruggeri's designs are uncommon to come across because they were practical enough for everyday use and those who had her clothes and accessories continued to wear them until they were no longer usable, hence their rarity.
Comments