Flirty Party Kicks Off Swarovski Shoe Promotion

The purpose of this party was simple: "We wanted to show how our crystals are being used in shoes," said Swarovski marketing events manager Kisha Reid. She and designer Todd Shearer dreamed up a series of displays that showed both sparkling footwear and a sense of humor.
When they booked the Rubin Museum of Art for the party, the idea was to display the shoes on the spiral staircase Andrée Putnam designed for the Barneys store originally in that space. But, Reid said, "that turned out to be kind of boring."

Instead, guests got a kick out of a display showing a row of female legs sitting on chairs in various positions to show off their shining shoes, while black draping hid their upper bodies. Most of the legs, of course, belonged to mannequins, but three real models shifted every so often to give guests a jolt, prompting a few to peek under the draping to see what was going on.

Shearer, who typically uses his experience in retail display to design events and exhibits (along with a stockpile of art, fashion, and design books for ideas), said the idea was to mix a chorus line with a peep show, citing fashion photographer Guy Bourdin as inspiration. Shearer called it "a little edgy, but tasteful." We'll call it witty, too.

On the other side of the museum's main floor was a row of shoes perched on mannequin heads wearing black felt hats Shearer commissioned from hat designer Ryan Wilde. And near the entrance, a small exhibit also showed blowup photos of crystal-studded shoes from the past century.

Downstairs was a long dining table set with candelabra, oversize flower arrangements, and full place settings, all painted white by Geoff Howell Studio to set off colorful crystal-encrusted shoes on each plate. (Shearer—Howell's roommate at the Pratt Institute—said the inspiration came from artist Sandy Skoglund, who photographs installations that mix monochromatic backgrounds with brightly colored objects.)

Called "Crystal Temptations"—the installations were meant to suggest the seven deadly sins—the footwear display was headed for a tour with stops at events in Mexico, South America, and Europe after the New York party. So George Palumbo Wood Enterprises built all the sets to break down and assemble easily.

—Chad Kaydo

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