This week’s Study Tour adventure took us uptown to the beautiful and quiet streets of the Upper East Side where we met celebrity and luxury fashion designer, Vanessa Noel. When anyone hears her name, you should think of one thing and one thing only…
Shoes.
This visit hit very close to home as my foundational fashion story always brings me back to when I was a child. To this day my mom tells me stories of how it was impossible to walk through a store without me making every attempt to jump out of the stroller all while yelling, “SHOES!”.
I guess I should’ve known this is where I’d end up someday…
So, as you can imagine, stepping foot in The Noel Museum was a dream. Upon entering, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Not only was I surrounded by countless pairs of shoes, but history was staring me right in the face.
The Noel Museum
If there is one thing Vanessa Noel has dedicated her life to, it’s shoes. Upon experiencing a near death experience years ago, she took a look back at her life, wondering what legacy she would have left behind had she been gone… After much consideration, Noel realized there was something missing from the world- a shoe museum.
Sure, we have the MET and fashion exhibits all over the world, but what about the shoes? Where do they go? People always seem more concerned with what’s on someone’s body than what’s on their feet. So, The Noel Museum was born.
“Our goal is to teach the culture of man through the evolution of the shoe.”
-Vanessa Noel
The shoe can be a very telling and educational symbol. Sure, everyone loves to look and shop for them, but have you ever stopped to think about what a design could represent?
As Vanessa guided us, we were able to be teleported through centuries all by simply looking at a shoe. Dating all the way back to the Incas, she informed us that their shoes were designed with the intention of their toes to hang off the front. This was due to their want to feel grounded and connected to the Earth. Flashing forward some time, we were brought over to a pair of shoes quite hard to miss… With their dramatic up-curled toe, it was natural to wonder who on earth would have ever worn these!
Turns out, the wealthiest people were sporting what I now view as a quite unattractive shoe… Having such a large, non-practical designed shoe meant you most likely weren’t spending your days out in the fields.
One thing Vanessa was sure to do within her museum, was include every bit of history. Pictured below is a pair of boots worn by a Nazi in World War II. I remember being taken back upon seeing these shoes… Someone posed a question to Noel, wondering why she chose to include these in the museum- or if she was ever hesitant. Her answer- No.
Good or bad, these shoes are telling the world’s history. Noel went on to speak about how looking at those boots causes one to think- “Did this soldier believe in what he was supporting?”. History is full of hardship, and I think it’s important we have these reminders of how much hate was once in the world, so we don’t find ourselves back there again.
The Importance of a Shoe
To Vanessa, shoes are so much more than just something we use to protect our feet from the outside elements. They have the ability to make us feel a certain way. Noel pointed out that when different shoes are worn, we feel different. Depending on the style, our posture changes.
Having always loved shoes myself, this concept got me thinking… I guess I knew I admired them for their beauty and design, but she was right! Just by placing a certain silhouette of shoe on myself, my internal feelings change. When I wear heels, I walk taller and stand more confident. When I want to feel powerful, my cowgirl boots are my go-to- filling me with a sense of American spirit while also maintaining a high style profile.
Just like clothing, shoes are how we express ourselves. And as Vanessa says…
“There’s nothing more boring than everyone trying to be the same.”
