ROYAL
How important do you feel historical costume and design is to the modern production of
fashion?
I think it is immensely important. I love seeing designers like Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano so blatantly draw from the past. Yes, PLEASE, bring it back! It is equally as interesting to see movies and TV shows influence fashion, like the big trend for 1920's that burst out of "The Great Gatsby," "Boardwalk Empire," and the later seasons of "Downton Abbey." We could all do with a little more polish these days, and the fact that people are wearing fully- beaded gowns and slim-cut suits to parties is really exciting.
What are the main differences in shoe designs when taking a look at the different time periods on your website?
When I start a new style in development, it starts with research. I look for the hallmarks of a time period, and incorporate all of those into the shoe that will represent, say the Edwardian period or the 1920's. I have to
look at heel heights, last shapes, the presence or absence of toe
counters, where the seams are, etc. There are some big shifts between periods - for instance, in the 1790's, you get really pointed toes, but by the 1830's, you get very square toes. The toe shape shifts back to pointed in the 1890's, which persists until about 1925 - when the toes go round. Heel shapes change; or heels disappear altogether. I try to create a shoe for each period that "hits the nail on the head" and can work across a variety of uses. Often you get cross over. A lot of the Edwardian styles also work for the 1920's. Victorian boots work for Edwardian. A collection I'm working on now will work for the 1850's through the 1880's. Big changes occur in fashion during those decades; but the footwear changed only minimally, and at a much slower pace.
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