The Art of the Shoe. Marie-Josèphe Bossan
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Название: The Art of the Shoe
Автор: Marie-Josèphe Bossan
Издательство: Parkstone International Publishing
Жанр: Дом и Семья: прочее
Серия: Temporis
isbn: 978-1-78310-733-9, 978-78042-958-8
isbn:
Pinet received many awards for his work, including a superb medal from the 1867 Paris World Fair that would thenceforth be engraved under the soles of his shoes as a sign of his talent. That same year, he invented a machine that could form Louis XV heels in one piece. Composed of a press and a dye, the machine’s technology was awarded a new patent. Technological advancements of this kind marked the transition from craft industry to industrial manufacturing during the period. During the events of 1870–1871 that shook France, and especially Paris, Pinet provided financial assistance to the wounded and established a 20-bed mobile hospital unit at his own expense.
In 1892, during a traditional St. Crispin’s banquet, he became a member of a new journeyman’s society called the Union Compagnonnique. François Pinet died in 1897. A humble shoemaker from the provinces, he succeeded in dressing the feet of the world’s most elegant women. In the process he made a valuable contribution to spreading haute couture’s international influence. There were other 19th-century developments.
83. Woman’s shoe. Oxford in white satin, embroidered patterns in silver, tasseled laces. Leather sole, covered reel heel. Executed by Pinet. Paris, around 1897. Guillen Collection, International Shoe Museum, Romans.
The advent of department stores in 1852 made a wide range of shoes readily available. The return of the heel, after being unsuccessfully revived under Louis-Philippe, become standard and took the demi-bobine or half-roll form. The arch of the foot being thenceforth supported by the shoe’s shank, the heel could be positioned at the back edge of the sole. An aura of mystery surrounded the ankle boot hidden under crinoline. According to the notes and memoirs of Madame Jules Baroche, there came from England a more revealing fashion: “This year court ladies adopted a very English fashion: an ankle-revealing skirt of multi-coloured wool worn with a Louis XIII hat, a mischievous eye, a turned-up nose, and patent-leather ankle boots with heels. This outfit unfortunately requires a slender leg and a delicate foot. Otherwise it is smart, daring, casual, and better suited than any other for a walk in the woods.”
But prince Napoleon found fault with the trend: “Women betray themselves in the morning with indiscrete skirts and in the evening with indiscrete blouses; what is to become of us?” The Empress wore tasseled boots to the races at Longchamp.
During this period, the female foot was much written about. Literature of the 19th century abounds with descriptions of feet dressed in mules d’appartement (slippers) and bottines (ankle boots).
Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850), Emile Zola (1840–1902), and Guy de Maupassant (1850–1893) were among the many writers who dwelled on this fashion accessory.
84. Oxford style man’s shoe by A. Biset in light brown kidskin. Elongated and upturned toe with perforated design. France, around 1890. International Shoe Museum, Romans.
85. Pump in embroidered calfskin. Paris, 1855. Guillen Collection, International Shoe Museum, Romans.
In Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert (1821–1880) describes more than one hundred pairs of shoes. Marc Constantin wrote the following description in the The Almanac of Fine Manners (1854): “The ankle boot has deposed the shoe and reigns victorious; nothing is prettier than a supple laced boot clasping the foot, which it makes look even smaller! It has a slimming effect on the lower leg and creates an elegant step.”
For evenings or for a ball, women wore extremely sophisticated escarpins of tapestry or silk, which often matched their gowns. Gustave Flaubert refers to them in Madame Bovary: “Her beautiful outfit will be stored in the closet with pious respect, right down to her satin shoes whose soles were yellowed from the slippery wax on the floor.” These styles were based on the open shoes with heels of the Louis XV and Louis XVI periods.
The mule d’appartement (slipper) in silk or velvet was another standard shoe. Men wore black boots or ankle boots. Children wore ankle boots that were smaller versions of the adult models.
From 1870 to 1900, shoes competed with ankle boots for in-town wear. The low-cut pump continued to be worn for evening. Round toes became pointed. Shapes were slowly changing, but the very recent revolution in dress caused by Paul Poiret, would have the foot in modern shoes thenceforth available for all to see.
86. Children’s shoes. Around 1800. Weissenfels Museum, with the authorization of Irmgard Sedler.
87. Block of buttonhooks for boots and bottines, Saltran Collection, International Shoe Museum, Romans.
88. Painted shoe shop display. Around 1840. Lithograph. Carnavalet Museum, Paris.
89. “Shock heel” shoes. Paris, 1987. Created by Roger Vivier, International Shoe Museum, Romans.
The Shoe in the 20th century
The shoe’s history and evolution in the 20th century can only be understood in relation to the personalities and the older firms that paved the way to our understanding of traditional and industrial fabrication. True “dynasties,” some of these custom shoemakers and manufacturers are still growing into the 21st century. Many names are cited here taken from among the talented designers and prestigious firms, but many are absent, as this book cannot pretend to be exhaustive. All deserve greater recognition, not only for their contribution to the rise of fashion in France and the world, but also for passing their traditional know-how on to the next generation.
It is also impossible to understand 20th-century footwear in isolation from its closely related historical, economic, and artistic contexts. These underlying factors would lead to a revolution in clothing that would produce the versatile functionality of modern apparel. To fashion designers who deemed shoes a fashion accessory these factors were rich sources of inspiration.
Many historical factors contributed to the evolution of 20th-century shoes. First, the rise of international relations promoted foreign influences, while large world fairs, in which French couture participated, facilitated artistic exchange. Second, Haute Couture fashion shows and the informative role of fashion magazines, spread by photography and film, were among the principal agents of change. To these factors must be added the growth of sports and the introduction of the automobile. Additionally, a wealthy French and foreign clientele that only wore custom-made clothing and shoes continued to exist alongside the booming apparel industry, a phenomena that enabled mass production of Couture-inspired fashions accessible to the largest number of consumers at lower prices, which in turn promoted the growth of the shoe business. In this way names like André and even Bata became the pride of footwear’s mass-market. The impact of the two world wars would also be considerable. Finally, the advent of Designer Fashion and technological innovations in footwear would carry shoes into the 21st century.
A number of events marked the years around 1900: the advent of the lady’s suit revolutionized fashion; the English craze for sports and fresh air established itself in France; and a bathing suit that included cloth ankle boots with rubber soles was transported to Etretat and Trouville. Women who risked bicycle riding dared to wear baggy pants inspired by bloomers (also a rage on the other side of the Channel) and caused a sensation by showing their feet in shoes, as observed in the painting The bicycle House in the Bois de Boulogne (Carnavalet Museum, Paris), painted by Jean Béraud circa 1900. СКАЧАТЬ