The photo above is from the August 2008 issue of W magazine. It features Christy Turlington wearing Prada briefs and a pair of thigh-high lace-up platform boots from Etro. When I saw this photo, I was immediately reminded of a similar pair of boots displayed in a recent exhibit by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
The Met’s boots (pictured above) were made by the Paris shop of Maniatis Bottier. Of Greek origin, Bottier established his shop in the 1920s. Although he usually catered to a distinct clientele which included film stars such as Cary Grant, it seems that his client base was quite … varied. The shop’s ninth arrondissement location near the Pigalle red-light district may explain these boots. The heels are unusually high for the day as is the height of the boots. As the Met explains, these features coupled with the fact that there is little wear and tear on the soles point to the probability that these were fetishistic shoes.
Although the Costume Institute is not in the habit of displaying S&M articles, they made an exception for these boots because with their high tapered heels, they are a harbinger of the stiletto heel that was to become popular in the 1950s. Also, as the Etro boots exemplify, the Met’s boots “illustrate the incorporation of designs originating from a world of highly specialized and esoteric tastes into the larger, ostensibly more normative, culture. The tendency of fashion to co-opt taboo and exotic elements from other periods, cultures, or, as in this instance, the demimonde, is one strategy employed for its constant reinvigoration.” In other words, the Met’s boots are a precursor to sex industry fashions going mainstream. And, as Etro and everyone else knows, sex sells.
By the way, notice the generous amount of room the Met’s boots allow for the thighs. I suppose that despite the flapper, streamlined fashions of the 1920, curvier figures were still the norm.
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