Ladies of the jury, let me first commend you for your fashion diplomacy! Had Madame Antoinette's fate been in your merciful hands, perhaps she wouldn't have lost her pretty little head. The intended vision of this footwear fiasco? From the Absolute Madness collection, "Entirely embroidered in the Indian manufacture of Jean-Francois Lesage, this shoe is a tribute to Marie Antoinette: delicate ribbons, embroidery, and these incredible hairdressings. Sold exclusively in Paris boutiques."
That said, the queen's skilled attorney, Monsieur Louboutin, didn't quite do her feet--or ours--justice. And who am I to argue with the democratic process? The ballots are in:
33% love
40% loathe
40% loathe
27% undecided
To be fair, Christian Louboutin's efforts to pay homage to the queen's signature style is evident from toe to heel. Marie Antoinette was known for her indulgent lifestyle, replacing a lack of affection from her husband and mother with excessive spending on gambling and clothing. The fashionista of her time, Marie Antoinette was expected by tradition to be the leading example of fashion at court and relished trips to the city for apparel, shoes, and cosmetics. The lovely young queen did not disappoint--until her execution for treason at the age of 37, during the Reign of Terror.
In the above portrait, her heavy headpiece bears a striking resemblance to the ornamental headpiece on the Marie Antoinette shoe. Genius? Maybe. In my view, the headpiece is the singular saving grace of this shoe. In its entirety, though I appreciate the Louboutin's purpose and intentions, I feel that this shoe is simply too much--even for HRH.
But enough about me! Your feedback was fabulous, and I wanted to share a few of my favorites from the lovers and the loathers:
- I know, fashion wasn't meant to be practical or comfortable, but wouldn't it be nice if it was...at least some of the time??
- I think if you consider fashion and design as fitting two niches--namely, clothing some of us and teasing the imagination of others--there exists space for incredibly fanciful, incredibly unwearable items like these particular Louboutins. As art, I think they are cheeky and clever, with a nod to history in their concept and execution. As quotidian attire, I think they could be rather garish. Although, contrast against head to toe black, they could be pretty jazzy. You'd have to rock them with confidence.
- I would probably like stationary note cards with pictures of bizarre Louboutin shoes on them, but definitely wouldn't put these on my feet.
- Don’t get me wrong, I’d love me some Loubies, but nothing makes sense with this pair. The bottom looks like a bedazzled Easter egg, and the ankle straps are nautical and Victorian? Clearly Absolute Madness!!! AHHH!
- Despite their craftsmanship and admirable eccentricity, these shoes should suffer Marie's fate. Like her desire for luxe, both suffer from BAD TIMING!
- I would say love...but the head and hair of her majesty is a bit too much. Living in NYC, I see a lot of ridiculous, but this kind of freaks me out to actually imagine someone walking with two of her majesty's heads bobbing back and worth. Ha.
- I love it in the sense that I love John Galliano couture...wonderful to look at, not quite ready to live in.
- Picturing a foot in the shoe I am seeing a head of hair and a bodice...that's pretty clever.
- Love! I think it's an "outfit shoe," meaning it has enough character to make a simple form fitting dress complete.
- I think they are a perfect representation of Marie, as we know she was quite over the top! My verdict is that they are fierce!
- Is it just me or do you want to shout... emperor you are NAKED!
And so concludes our first episode. Thank you all for your amazing feedback! Your prize? Let us eat cake!--or couture. After all, it's what Marie Antoinette would have wanted.
Marie Antoinette picture from http://thequeenofthenight.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/marie-antoinette-ship.jpg.
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