Fashion: September 2017

STYLE | fashion 11
The high heel dates as far back as the 1400s,
when prostitutes in Venice would wear what
were then known as chopines, to stand taller
and look more imposing than their rivals. The
shoes reached heights up to 18 inches. The
later invention of heeled riding boots increased
the mass popularity of heels within both male
and female fashion, although they were then
predominantly worn by men and the heel of a
practical and sturdy design.
These simple heels soon evolved into more
stylised heels that became thinner and higher
during the mid-1500s. Catherine de Medici is
said to have made high heels fashionable and
functional for women, due to her marriage to
a rather tall Duke of Orleans (who became the
King of France).
The petite Catherine de Medici felt somewhat
insecure next to the Duke’s favourite mistress,
Diane de Poitiers. A pair of two-inch heels
remedied this, giving her a more notable physique
and adding a sultry sway to her walk. The appeal
of these heels caught on quickly, with the elegant
footwear soon associated with wealth and
privilege.
Mary Tudor was another royal who pursued
heels for height, however, Queen Elizabeth I was
documented as the first wearer of European high
heels, in a painting from 1595.
Fashionable heels were popular for both sexes
by 1590, and a person who had authority or
wealth was often referred to as “well-heeled”. By
1790 men had entirely stopped wearing the heel
and it became a symbol of femininity.
Shoe Facts
• Marilyn Monroe was said to shave a quarter-inch
off one of her stilettos so she walked with a wiggle.
• Imelda Marcos is one of the world’s most famous
shoe collectors. The former First Lady of the
Philippines owned 1200 pairs.
• There is fashion folklore surrounding the Christian
Louboutin red soles. According to The New Yorker,
the red soles were inspired by Andy Warhol’s
drawing Flowers. In 1993, Louboutin designed a
shoe using the drawing as inspiration, however,
when the prototype of the shoe arrived, he felt like
something was missing. At this point, he looked
around and saw an assistant painting her nails with
a bright red polish. He grabbed her nail polish and
painted it all over the black sole of the shoe – and
so, the red sole was born.
• King Louis XIV of France was known for starting
many fashion trends. From his early 20s until he
was at least 63 years old, Louis XIV had his heels
covered in red Moroccan leather or painted that
colour. Maybe this is where Christian Louboutin
got his inspiration from?
Early Manolo Blahnik Shoes
Christian Louboutin
King Louis XIV of France
Jimmy Choo