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?
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