Synopses & Reviews
If you love shoesand#151;and who doesn't?and#151;you know that nothing says as much about a womanand#8217;s style as her taste in footwear. Long before Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin, Beth Levine was designing shoes that were objects of desire and even lust.and#160;Levine, who introduced mules, stilettos, and fashion boots to the American market, was a visionary. Born a farmgirl, she took her design inspiration from natureand#151;and everything else: auto racing, patchwork quilts, even the 1969 moon landing. Fashion-forward and exquisitely constructed, Levineand#8217;s shoes were worn by stars like Marilyn Monroe and Barbra Streisand, favored by designers like Halston, Oscar de la Renta, and Geoffrey Beene, and collected by Azzedine Alaand#239;a and Manolo Blahnik.and#160;and#160;This bookand#8217;s full-color photos of Levineand#8217;s creationsand#151;from vinyl cowboy boots to sublime black silk pumpsand#151;display her shoes as touchstones of glamour and, ultimately, works of art.
and#147;Before MANOLO BLAHNIK, there was the cutting-edge shoe designer BETH LEVINE (1914-2006). Stockinged boots that extended into a wrapped bodysuit, slides lined in Astroturf, and driving pumps in the forms of carsand#151;all were part of her rich vocabulary, being celebrated in BETH LEVINE SHOES, by HELENE VERIN.and#8221;
-Andre Leon Talley, VOGUE April 2009
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Widely hailed as the and#145;First Lady of American Shoe Designand#8217;, Beth worked under her husbandand#8217;s label to create some of the most innovative and popular shoes of the 60' and 70and#8217;s, including Nancy Sinatraand#8217;s boots that walked all over you in her hit single, and#147;These Boots Are Made for Walkinand#8217;.and#8221;
-Callie Watts, BUST.com
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I knew the name but not much about the woman, so when the book Beth Levine Shoes landed on my desk, I quickly flipped the pages, reading the quotes and staring at the shoes, so intricate, creative and whimsicaland#133; The book offers insight into arguably the most influential American shoe designer of the 20th century. The pictures alone are worth the $35 price.
-Linda Miller, The OKLAHOMAN, 3/29/2009
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Synopsis
If you love shoesand who doesn't?you know that nothing says as much about a womans style as her taste in footwear. Long before Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin, Beth Levine was designing shoes that were objects of desire and even lust. Levine, who introduced mules, stilettos, and fashion boots to the American market, was a visionary. Born a farmgirl, she took her design inspiration from natureand everything else: auto racing, patchwork quilts, even the 1969 moon landing. Fashion-forward and exquisitely constructed, Levines shoes were worn by stars like Marilyn Monroe and Barbra Streisand, favored by designers like Halston, Oscar de la Renta, and Geoffrey Beene, and collected by Azzedine Alaïa and Manolo Blahnik. This books full-color photos of Levines creationsfrom vinyl cowboy boots to sublime black silk pumpsdisplay her shoes as touchstones of glamour and, ultimately, works of art.
Synopsis
Long before Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin, Beth Levine had been designing shoes that had been considered objects of desire and even lust. This collection of full-color photos of Levine's creations displays her shoes as touchstones of glamour and, ultimately, works of art.
Synopsis
Beautiful, sculptural objects, shoes are powerful indicators of gender, status, identity, taste, and even sexual preference. Our choice in shoes can be aspirational, even fantasticalandmdash;and can project an image not just of who we are, but of who we want to be. Feet are made for walking, but shoes may not be. Featuring extensive new photography, this is a beautiful and authoritative guide to the history and culture of footwear. Iconic creations by celebrated designers sit alongside masterpieces by unknown craftsmen. Embracing both menandrsquo;s and womenandrsquo;s footwear, from the Chinese lotus shoe to laser-printed contemporary shoes-as-sculpture, Shoes: Pleasure and Pain engages with the cultural significance of shoesandmdash;the source of their allure, how they are made, and the people who buy and wear them. Contributors from a wide range of disciplines consider subjects as diverse as ballet slippers and fetishism, shoes and ceramics, traditional shoemaking, and the obsessive shoe collector. The book also includes a comprehensive discussion of the history of shoe design, and case studies including Marie Antoinetteandrsquo;s shoe collection and the footwear of the Maharajas.
About the Author
Helene Verin is a designer of shoes, wallpaper, rugs, pillows, and tiles, and her work has appeared in countless books and publications. Verin is an adjunct professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, where she lives, and is a recognized expert on Beth Levine.
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