Soles Exposed See reviews
7 of the paintings are still available for purchase, if you would like to see which ones click HERE.
A new show featuring paintings of 21 women in their favourite shoes, by artist and designer Kelly Sant opens this January at the Adam Street Gallery, London. Kelly has painted the feet of some of the leading lights of the design and fashion worlds, each clad in their favourite shoes. From design curators, to stylists, to the muse of a '70s shoe designer, each has chosen the shoes that they feel best sum them up. Essentially these are portraits of feet, some defiant, some coy, some strident, some sexual: each painting richly conveys the essence and personality of their owner. Yet each portrait ends at calf level, tantalising the viewer with suggestions of what is not revealed.
Photography by Mehdi Teimory
The series includes Liz de Havilland, wife and muse of Terry de Havilland, shoe designer Georgina Goodman modelling the first shoes she ever made for herself (a pair of handstiched leather slingbacks), journalist Ashlee Moratorio in her favourite Manolos, architectural designer Shona Kitchen in sexy Ferragamo heels and Elle magazine's Kate Blythe also in Manolos.
For those of you interested in a catalogue of the exhibition there is an A1 Catalogue poster available.
Pick one up for £3.
Make sure you also check out My New Shoes showing Kelly wearing her favourite shoes.Found in St.Tropez, hoping they would match her wedding outfit at home - they did-perfectly! They're high and sexy and her feet are practically naked.
Liz de Havilland in "Leyla" by Terry de Havilland
"There's a
sad story behind the naming of these shoes. There was a lovely little gothic
girl who used to buy the big clumpy boots from us when we were based in the
Stables Market. She suddenly started to buy this particular style of stiletto
heeled platform mule and ordered several pairs in different colours and fabrics.
When we asked her sister why she was buying so many of them we were told that
she had been diagnosed with incurable cancer - we called this style Leyla
in her honour".
This particular pair are one-offs made for Liz for a Hallowe'en do, hence
the spider-web detailing and the crystal crosses were meant to ward off vampires!!!
Liz de Havilland in "Electra" by Terry de Havilland.
Terry made these particular
shoes for Liz as her "one week" wedding anniversary present because
he was too busy to make her any wedding shoes when they got married! They
are made out of suede and python.
Georgina Goodman in Georgina Goodman
These are George's first pair of shoes that she made for herself. They are really worn and loved out, they've been through rain storms, clipped along snowy streets, and Ioved for the way they turn up at the end like a pair of jester shoes.
George has totally ignored
the advice she gives her customers of shoe care and
has just had loads of fun in them...whatever the weather!
Ashlee Moratorio
'My Vixen shoes'
designed by Manolo Blahnik
In case you're wondering...worn with head to toe black and a dash of red lipstick, very 'femme fatale'. These were one of Ashlee's first pairs of Manolo's (and she has lots) "On their first outing they immediately commanded attention. Within an hour of wearing them I had a man drooling over the shoes. As he asked me to join him for coffee, all the time staring at the shoes, he said, "So, do you always wear shoes like that?"
Kate Blythe "Devora" Designed by Manolo Blahnik. Who wouldn't follow these home?
Bought because they
are so f**k-off sexy!
Second hand from Portobello Market.
Sadly they are falling to bits from over use.
"So groovy
and comfortable"
Juliet
Pink ballet pumps
by Nine west
"Thinking ballet,
thinking dance, thinking mood.....in the pink"
Marloes
"No heels"
Materials: Cast polyurethane resin.
The material, polyurethane
resin, is used to make a shoe without any traces of hand making, moreover
the heel has been taken off, so it will look even less like existing shoes.
"A little song about my shoes, inspired by Malia, from her song "purple shoes"
Arrived in London
in my Free-Lance shoes
The 3 colours ones, they weren't hard to choose
I was feeling wild I had no blues
I was grooving to the sound of my heartbeat, yeah
I always wear my
Free-Lance shoes
So good to wear my 3 colour shoes"
Annie
"My studio shoes"
(they used to have "Get Stuffed" written on them)
The thick rubber soles
make a comfortable dash for the Routemaster - which Bernie does a lot - she
is frequently a little behind her schedule! (Best seen accompanying her white
gloves used for hailing cabs)
"After trying
on millions of pairs of wedding shoes I finally settled on
this exquisite pair of silk shoes with swarvoski crystal flowers,
They were a dream to wear all day and I danced into the night..."
Alison
by Chanel
Bought by daughter Kate
for her mum...or should I say practically snatched from the hands of the editor
of Vogue at a sample sale!
Alison has only worn these shoes out once - to make this portrait, to her
they are a work of art, she is saving a public outing for a special event
in the future, you might see her in them here...
Shona
''Shoes specifically bought to make love to in"
designed by Ferragamo.
Marloes
'Red-mâché'
Materials; laser cut stainless steel, leather
"In order to design
and make comfortable shoes that have a different
silhouette form than the form of a foot, I invented a leather-mâché
technique. This technique made it possible to vary the thickness of the shoe
at certain parts. In this shoe the leather-mâché technique is
used with big
sheets of leather, to make the form of the shoe very abstract. All the
details like the toe and the heel come from the way of constructing this
shoe. The heel for example is just another (reinforced) sheet of leather."
I am interested in creating new shoe typologies for people with new fantasies
and
new definitions of beauty. In order to create these, to move forward in shoe
design,
I am introducing new shoemaking techniques and materials."
Vero
"My fantasy feather and pearl shoes"
created by Veronique Economou
When nobody dreams up or satisfies your fantasy, make the fantasy real for yourself.
Grechen
Absolutely her favourite pair of shoes
By Arche
Grechen is a very busy,
charming and sassy lady,
her choice in shoes reflect her personality and outlook.
