Emma Hope's Pink Boho Fuzzy Felt Slingbacks: "Think Pink"

I recently caught up with London shoe designer extraordinaire, Emma Hope. I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Ms. Hope since 2010 when I asked her to consider designing a contemporary shoe based on the work of London Georgian cordwainers for an exhibition.

This time, I was interested in a pair of shoes featured in the current Museum of Fine Arts exhibition “Think Pink” (http://www.mfa.org/news/think_pink)

Emma shared the following regarding the concept and design of the Boho Fuzzy Felt Mules (2005), in the MFA collection.

KA:

What was the genesis behind this delightful burst of pink?

EH:

The boho fuzzy felt itself came from a little vintage collar I found at a jumble sale which had bullion and felt flowers on. I think we did a bag and some ballets [flats] too, but thought it would be mainly pretty as a boho chic sling [back]. I used to have a rather low-key game box of fuzzy felt animals to stick on when I was little, so I that is how the name came about.

KA:

You are well-known for your interest in reviving historic techniques and aesthetics, incorporating them into your contemporary footwear. What were your inspirations for this shoe?

EH:

I think the Victorians put an awful lot into embroidery, as seen in the original vintage collar on which the sling is based, perhaps because they didn't have TV as a distraction. There was quite a lot of mental energy to be channelled into creative work.

EH:

While we did a couple of colourways, and probably sold more on a black suede base, I think the pink is nice and summery.

About Emma Hope:

Emma Hope grew up in Singapore and England and graduated from The Cordwainers College in London. Currently, there are three Emma Hope shops in London; the first Emma Hope flagship store in Japan opened in 2003 in Roppongi Hills, a leading shopping area in Tokyo. Ms. Hope has designed shoes for Paul Smith, Anna Sui and Mulberry. Her shoes and bags are in over 150 stores worldwide including Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Harrods. All the shoes and bags are made in small, family owned factories in Tuscany, where they are specialists in the finest hand crafted shoe making techniques. Emma Hope likes buying beautiful vintage bags, shoes and gloves at jumble sales and flea markets using them to rework and revive the old techniques of how they were originally made. More: http://www.emmahope.co.uk

About the exhibition:

Think Pink features approximately 70 objects, including dresses, suits, jewelry and accessories by designers such as Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, Christian Louboutin and Oscar de la Renta and is complemented by graphic illustrations, photography and paintings. On view through May 26, 2014 in the Museum’s Loring Gallery, Think Pink will also highlight dresses and accessories from the personal collection of the late Evelyn H. Lauder, who was instrumental in creating awareness of breast cancer by choosing the color as a visual reference. More: http://www.mfa.org/news/think_pink

MEHITABLE ROGERS (1725-1803) & HER LONDON COURT SHOES, c. 1760s

The Warner House in Portsmouth, NH has a small but excellent collection of 18^th century – early 19^th century ladies shoes. One pair of particular note are those proudly announcing that they were created by “James Davis, Shoemaker, nr. Aldgate, London.”  As part of a larger research project, the author, with the assistance of Tara Vose, Warner House Board Member, and Bridget Swift, Research Associate, TheBranchCreative, has examined the work of Davis, or Davis in partnership with Thomas Ridout, for close to three years. A publication is forthcoming, with contributions by acclaimed contemporary London shoe designer, Emma Hope, available in 2013/2014.

The shoe shown here (Accession #743) was worn by Mehitable (Mehitabel) Rindge (b. 22 September 1725- d. 1803) who married the Honorable Daniel Rogers, of His Majesty’s Council for New Hampshire.  Ten years her senior, the couple were both born and raised in Portsmouth and are buried at the Proprietor’s Cemetery.

An especially elegant shoe of cream (or possibly another color, much faded) silk– note the higher than usual heel at 3” rather than the more typical 21/2” for the Colonial American consumer – it is very well worn.  In addition to the Davis label, the shoe also boasts a strip of subtle pink silk across the interior of the tongue, meant to be exposed ever so slightly as the wearer walked across the room or down a flight of stairs. The contrasting pale pink silk, in combination with shiny paste or jeweled buckles and the sheen of the silk would have created a refined fashion statement and, with the heel, a striking silhouette.

The couple’s oldest child, Mark, was born in 1762, so they most likely married in the early 1760s.  Given the style of the shoe and knowing its maker, a fabrication date falling between 1760-1770 would be appropriate. Further, the higher, courtly heel may have been favored by Mehitable earlier in life, prior to the birth of five children. These may have been her wedding shoes, or due to her husband’s position as a member of the King’s Council in New Hampshire, they may have been necessary accessories for her position in society, explaining the higher than usual heel.

Known after the Revolution for his apothecary business, Rogers was in fact examined by the New Hampshire Committee of Safety for “being unfriendly to the liberties of America,” on Thursday, November 23, 1775. No evidence was found against him and so he was dismissed without incident. He would subsequently resign his post due to the Acts of British Parliament.

Thank you to Carolyn Roy and Louis Richardson, Co-Curators, Warner House, and Tara Vose, Warner House Board Member, for their assistance. All images are courtesy of the Warner House.

For information on the house, its history and collections, see

The Warner House: A Rich and Colorful History. Joyce Volk, ed., The Warner House Association, 2006.

Kimberly Alexander, Ph.D.

Department of History

University of New Hampshire, Durham

An earlier version of the above was published on zephyrs10.blogspot.com, April, 2012

Video: Florence Costume Colloquium: Past Dress, Future Fashion

Overview of "Past Dress, Current Fashion" Costume Colloquium III, Florence, November 8-11, 2012.

The author is pleased to be presenting with London shoe designer, Emma Hope: "Brocade & Paste Buckles: The London Shoes of Thomas Ridout, James Davis and Emma Hope"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8mNxahC1nA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Illustrations:
Top - Courtesy, Emma Hope, 2011 Collection from "Thread: Regalia for Feet"
Below - Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, Ridout & Davis, silkbrocade shoes, c. 1760-1770s