The following list is a number of useful resources catered
around the Victoria and Albert Museum’s upcoming exhibition, Shoes: Pleasure
and Pain. Sponsored by Clarks, this
exhibition seeks to educate and entertain the masses about the history and
future of footwear, from its practical applications to its societal and
psychological implications.
Please note that this list is meant to be directional, not
comprehensive, and thus docents are encouraged to conduct further research
should they find it necessary. Despite
this fact, this list seeks to provide all docents with a solid foundation for a
successful museum tour.
Resources are categorized into the following sections: History & Culture, Design & Construction,
and Further Research.
History &
Culture
The following resources feature information that emphasize
the history of footwear across a variety of cultures.
Fashion Encyclopedia
Type: electronic / Location: http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/
This
website features a comprehensive list of fashion designer biographies,
including all of the named designers featured in our exhibition. Specific fashion information is categorized
into time periods and cultures, with separate pages detailing the different
styles and fashion for each. Within each
category, significant pieces or customs are highlighted for ease of access, and
further reading is suggested at the end of each article.
History of Footwear
Type: electronic / Location: http://www.footwearhistory.com
This
website is ideal for a crash course in the history of footwear. It is ideal for quick and easy research as
all information is kept brief and categorized into time periods. These pagers offer a brief explanation of the
context of the era, and then sectioned into separate categories such as
specific types of footwear and the material favored or available at the time. Another great feature of the site is its
glossary section, featuring a thorough list of defined terms and obscure jargon
associated with footwear.
Shoes: Pleasure and Pain
Helen Persson (Editor) / Type:
text, hardcover / Location: National Art Library Reference / National Art
Library Barcode: 38041015021033
This text not only
shares a name with the exhibition, it is also one of two books featured within
the museum’s gift shop. It contains a
wide array of high quality photographs of a variety of footwear, from ancient
unnamed designs to today’s classic red-soled Louboutin. The book also addresses the item as a
cultural icon, from humankind’s fascination with them to specific case studies
like Marie Antoinette’s grand shoe collection.
Docents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with this book due to
its placement in the museum’s gift shop and library. A copy of the book can be found in the
library’s reserves.
Shoes: A Brief History
Lucy Johnston & Linda Woolley /
Type: text, paperback / Location: National Art Library General Collection / National
Art Library Barcode: 3804101501151
This
text is the second of two books up for sale in the museum’s gift shop. Similar to the two previous websites, this
book provides a brief but involved look into the history of footwear. It pays special focus to the item with
regards to the social climate context of the time, such as the narrow slippers
of Queen Victoria’s reign to reflect the 19th century’s ideals of
daintiness. Docents are once more,
encouraged to familiarize themselves with this book due to its placement in the
museum’s gift shop and library. A copy
of the book can be found in the library’s general collection.
Design & Construction
The following resources feature information that focus
primarily on the processes of shoe construction and design.
Construction of Shoes: Stiletto and Brogue
Type: video / Location: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/shoes-pleasure-and-pain/construction-of-shoes-stiletto/
& http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/shoes-pleasure-and-pain/construction-of-shoes-brogue/
These two videos are featured on
the museum’s exhibition page. They are
short, dialogue-less videos that are essentially an engaging breakdown of the
different parts of two iconic shoe styles: stilettos and brogues. These sources would be ideal for a quick
study on shoe part identification and proper terminology.
Secrets of Shoe Design
Type: video (transcript available)
/ Location: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/shoes-pleasure-and-pain/secrets-of-shoe-design/
This
is another video featured on the museum’s exhibition page, though this one
focuses on the minds behind the shoes rather than the shoes themselves. With interviews from persons of international
name brands like Christian Louboutin, Caroline Groves, and Jimmy Choo, this
13-minute video briefly touches upon each designer’s distinct creative processes
in the conception of their designs.
The Story of Shoes
Type: video (short documentary) /
Location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE7pLFA6txs
This
particular video is a bit longer than the previous, reaching about 24
minutes. It features no dialogue but
contains a fairly extensive look at a unique process of shoe construction
(specifically, the brogue oxfords).
Though slightly outdated (the documentary was created in the 1930s), it
still addresses a specific process of shoe construction that the other
resources hadn’t touched upon in as great detail, which is mass and machine
production. The video also features text
cuts that explain each step in detail, as well as bringing up and defining
specific terms used in the area.
Note: There are a handful of other videos available on the
Museum’s exhibition page (http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/shoes-pleasure-and-pain/)
that docents are encouraged to refer to for further knowledge, such as a brief
interview with designer, Christian Louboutin, and a video short that follows a
shoe maker’s process in making a bespoke brogue from start to finish.
Further Research
The following resources are ideal for further research on
the topics addressed or touched upon within the exhibition.
Berg Fashion Library
Type: database / Access: via the
Museum’s computers in the V&A’s study rooms
Self-proclaimed
as a “unique online portal which offers fully cross-searchable access to an
expanding range of Berg content collections – including the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and
Fashion online, e-books, reference works, images, and much more”,
this e-resource is everyone who is anyone in fashion’s number one go-to for all
things fashion. On top of all this, the
Library updates at least three times a year, ensuring it is kept current in a fast-evolving
industry. Several features of the
database includes a specially-created taxonomy for the study of dress that
helps guide users to the information they need as well as focus and refine
their searches. The Library also makes
use of cross-referencing both within itself and also outside of itself using
OpenURLs and DOIs, which are available at chapter, article, and entry level. As far as usability goes, the Library has
evolved to cater to a wide range of users, such as those with dyslexia, and has
the technical support of Oxford University Press.
Sneakerheads: Inside the World of High-Stakes Sneaker Trading
Type: video / Access: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h52tQzOXIrQ
This
ABC documentary highlights the aggressive culture of name brand sneakers and
sneaker trading. While the museum’s
exhibition focuses primarily on haute couture, this 8 ½ minute video maintains
its relevance with its overview of a specific type of footwear obsession. Though two years old, its statistics and comments
about the phenomenon remain significant for any museum visitors that may be
curious about other areas of footwear culture.
Courtesy of the librarians at the National Art Library,
Victoria and Albert Museum.
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