SCAD FASH exhibition: 'Shoes: Pleasure and Pain'

By

Kate Dingwall

Published
Mar 24, 2017

The Savannah College of Art and Design has unveiled the newest exhibit to take over its on-site fashion museum.

“Shoes: Pleasure and Pain”, curated by London's Victoria and Albert Museum, will show off over 200 pairs of shoes, ranging from ancient Egyptian to contemporary Christian Louboutins.

Highlight pieces of the exhibit include Elton John’s platform boots, the crystal slippers featured in 2015’s Cinderella, shoes worn by Princess Diana, sky-high heels worn by Daphne Guinness, and David Beckham’s soccer cleats. Pieces by Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Nike, and Vivienne Westwood are also included in the exhibit.

The collection is divided into five sections: ‘obsession’, examining footwear from a collector’s perspective; ‘creation’, looking at how shoes are made; ‘seduction’, examining shoes as a source of pleasure; and ‘status’, exploring how shoes represent lifestyles. The last section is the tactile exploration zone that allows visitors to touch, feel, and engage with shoe-making materials.

More than 200 pairs of shoes will be shown alongside designer sketches, historic fashion illustrations, and shoe-making materials.

Prior to taking over SCAD’s space, the exhibit was shown at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, and at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.