Friday 5 December 2014

ART & SOLE - A Review by Dressing Down Under

ART & SOLE
Jane Gershon Weitzman
05.12.2014
 
 
 
A review by Dressing Down Under:
Like most women when I think of Stuart Weitzman I think shoes, detailed, jewelled, special statements that make every woman wearing them feel like a real woman and every female who saw them being worn hate the owner out of pure jealousy. Being a shoe obsessor myself I could not pass down the opportunity to gawk at the wonderful creations displayed by collaborating artists and imagine them on my feet. “Stuart Weitzman understands that a great shoe is about more than form or function; it is about making a woman feel beautiful.” (GRI, 2014, http://www.griretail.com/brands/stuart-weitzman/ )
When the book arrived I was delighted, they don’t make books like this anymore, and when I say ‘book’ I mean a proper book, a hardback novel with vibrant colours, and gold edged thick pages. It is the kind of volume you dreamt about having in your extravagant imaginary library when you grew up.  Everyone wanted a library right? There was something about having a room dedicated to dusty, oversized novels that just screamed excessive success.  With vibrant red, gold and embellished shoes Art & Sole is every girls dream to read with a cup of tea snuggled up on the sofa.
Art & Sole written by Jane Gershon Weitzman, Stuart Weitzman’s wife, contains a selection of stunning and unique shoes that in her mind “represent the best of more than a thousand that have appeared in Stuart Weitzman stores over the years.” (Jane Gershon Weitzman, 2014). Opening with a short and punctual introduction you are given a personal insight into the world of Weitzman, the inside story to the creation of one of the most iconic shoe designers in the world.
Containing 150 fantasy shoes excellently photographed by Lucas Zarebinski, Art & Sole beautifully captures the best of collaborating artists who were commissioned for Stuart Weitzman’s Madison Avenue retail store, and displays in spectacular detail the wonder of each unique piece. Every page and every single photograph beautifully exhibits the individual shoes as unique works of art. With over 30 diverse artists, the range of materials used is vast and highly unusual within the footwear industry.  Made from silk, acrylic film, ceramic, frosting, Swarovski crystals, corrugated cardboard, steel, resin and even paper, you start to believe that there is nothing that cannot be used to make a killer pair of heels and probably nothing left, that hasn’t been used in a pair Stuart Weitzman shoes.
My favourite shoes from the collection are Tiny Trellis (pg. 39) by Anthony Rosiello, Bedazzled (pg. 151-151) by Kathy Wegman and Jewels at Work (pg. 186-187 image below) by Sharon Von Senden.

Jewels at Work, Sharon Von Senden
 
Art & Sole is a beautiful book and I would recommend it be the perfect gift for any self-confessed shoe fanatic, fashionista and art enthusiasts.  Buy this for your shopping buddy, your mother, your sister or even men buy this and slip it into your girlfriends stocking this Christmas. It is a guaranteed hit and something that will keep us women quiet, well maybe only for 5 minutes but that is why they invented chocolate no?


Tuesday 2 December 2014

Stuart Weitzman - Art & Sole A Timeless Holiday Gift Pr

PRESS RELEASE BY PAULA ROSADO PR
Press Contact: Paulo Rosado
paula@paularosadopr.com
P: 212.594.2552



S T U A R T

W E I T Z M A N


ART & SOLE
A Timeless Holiday Gift
For Shoe and Art Aficionados Everywhere

By Jane Gershon Weitzman

NEW YORK, NEW YORK,  September 2014 - The perfect book for shoe lovers, fashionistas, art aficionados, and a timeless holiday treasure, Jane Gershon Weitzman's ART & SOLE features shoes made from highly unique materials - feathers, paper, ceramic, metal, resin, playing cards, corrugated cardboard, Swarovski crystals, even fresh flowers and frosting - with remarkable intricate construction. ART & SOLE showcases approximately 150 shoes of the more than 1,000 Jane Weitzman discovered and commissioned for the windows of the first Stuart Weitzman retail shop on Madison Avenue in the mid 1990s. Using the best of this collection, many of the shoes are in printed form for the first time.

With an introduction by Jane Weitzman, the shoes are featured along with brief, identifying captions, in an impeccably designed, graphically compelling, package making a timeless holiday gift for anyone on your list. Author Jane Weitzman is continuing her cross-country tour where she has had speaking engagements at over 40 locations nationwide including The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh and the Mint Museum in North Carolina. Throughout her tour she has been speaking book fairs and for charities such as the Philadelphia Aids Fund, and local Breast Cancer events as well as many others.

A vibrant red cloth case with an elaborate crystal shoe embossed in detail on the front cover, gilded edging and a satin ribbon marker make this book an irresistible treasure and great conversation starter for the shoe lover, art enthusiast, or interior designer worldwide.

About the Author:
Jane Gershon Weitzman was the Executive Vice President of Stuart Weitzman and the first Vice President of Stuart Weitzman Retail. She spearheaded philanthropy for the company by generating funds to support breast and ovarian cancer research and awareness. Her efforts were brought to life through innovative charity events on the brand's website, such as the Stuart Weitzman Celebrity Breast Cancer Shoe Auction, and is retail stores. She serves on the Trust Board of the Boston Children's Hospital.

IMAGES FEATURED INSIDE ART & SOLE

AUTOMATA VI (Pg 129)
TIN CAN ALLEY (Pg 32-33)
CORRUGATED CURVES VI (Pg 107)

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