The Elisabeth Thorsen Shoe Art Exhibition, held in Fredrikstand Norway, looks like a collection straight out of Lady Gaga’s closet. Elisabeth Thorsen is a Norwegian shoemaker and artist who is known for her beautifully expressive high heels. Her 2014 collection features seven distinctly different pairs of shoes which are works of art. Her shoes aren’t merely made for convention or function; they have been created as art works.
The fascinating shoe designs incorporate materials and fabrics that aren’t traditionally used to make shoes, such as carpet fabric and carved wood. The chestnut colored hand carved wooden shoes are adorably cheeky and Russian fairytale inspired. Many of the wooden heels are carved by hand into curvy abstract silhouette shapes.
Elisabeth has taken an archeological approach to the designs by incorporating individual garments. The carpeted heel melds together pieces of carpet fabric and a wooden chair’s foot. A carpet and a wood chair have essentially come together to produce a high-heeled shoe! The high-heeled shoes are a real work of art.
Norwegian Wooden Shoe Art
The Elisabeth Thorsen Shoe Art Exhibition is Unsually Adorable
Trend Themes
1. Unconventional Shoe Design - The trend of designing shoes from unconventional materials or with unconventional shapes and features is disrupting traditional footwear industry.
2. Art-inspired Footwear - The trend of creating unique and artistic footwear designs is disrupting traditional fashion industry by giving consumers a new type of wearable art.
3. Merging Fashion and Interior Design - The trend of incorporating elements from interior design into fashion, as seen in the use of carpet fabric and furniture pieces in shoe design, is disrupting the traditional boundary between fashion and interior design industries.
Industry Implications
1. Footwear Manufacturing - The disruption brought by unconventional shoe design and art-inspired footwear presents an opportunity for footwear manufacturers to explore new materials and features that can capture consumers' imaginations and create unique value.
2. Fashion Retail - The increasing popularity of art-inspired footwear creates an opportunity for fashion retailers to add creative and unique fashion items to their inventory and attract a new consumer group.
3. Interior Design - The trend of incorporating furniture pieces and materials from interior design into footwear design presents an opportunity for interior designers to explore new ways of incorporating fashion elements into interior design and creating more diversified design products.