If you thought ‘Sex & The City’s’ Cary Bradshaw had a fabulous shoe closet, you are in for a treat at the Palm Springs Art Museum’s upcoming exhibit: ‘Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe.’ Opening this September 5th and on view through December 13th, this highly anticipated show will showcase contemporary designers Christian Louboutin, Chanel, Prada, Alexander McQueen and Celine. Also on display are designs from Salvatore Ferragamo, Delma and Christian Dior. Think Bergdorf’s, Barney’s, without the shoe salesman … or the expensive price tag. These haute couture shoes are not for sale.
This cutting-edge exhibit taking place in posh Palm Springs is described as “merging fashion, film and material culture while exploring the fashion world’s most coveted object.” ‘Killer Heels’ will feature over 110 pairs of high heeled shoes and 50 historical shoe designs from the archives of the Brooklyn Museum and Metropolitan Museum’s costume collections. The show’s curators, presenting high heeled shoes (stilettos, wedges, platforms) in a new light, will focus on the ‘artistic possibilities’ of the hugely popular shoe style. By using new and different materials and techniques, these designers have broken with the traditions of conventional style through ‘surprising structure, shape or height.’
Visitors to the exhibit will experience the show across six major themes: ‘Revival and Reinterpretation,’ ‘Rising in the East,’ ‘Glamour and Fetish, ‘Architecture,’ ‘Metamorphosis,’ and ‘Space Walk’ with a plethora of shoes showcased on arched pedestals in the hallways throughout the museum galleries. Covering over four centuries of the evolution of women’s shoes, the exhibit will reflect the changing designs of shoes, shifting fashion trends and social inclinations as well as similarities across cultures and time.
This explorative look at footwear is quite apropos for a trendy destination like Palm Springs. Long an old money enclave, in recent years Palm Springs has seen a vibrant rebirth as a hot spot for L.A. celebs, a music and event destination and a common backdrop for photo shoots for magazines like W and Vanity Fair. Museums have had much success in hosting exhibits surrounding fashion as art and as the 2015 Fall season kicks off in Palm Springs, the Killer Heels exhibit is likely to be a similar hit. Kick up your heels, Palm Springs is only a two-hour drive from Los Angeles.