Vaccarello explained that the polymer steppers were a menswear riff on the transparent TPU stilettos he introduced. on the women’s runway Last season: A classic silhouette with a sensual twist. Of the shoes, the designer said, “I’ve always been kind of into fetishistic things and I love seeing them walking around barefoot.” He argued vehemently that wearing them with socks would defeat the purpose. “It’s a fine line between classy and weird.”
Vaccarello has amped up the kinky factor with each new season, from the thigh-high leather waders seen across the World Wide Web (and in this magazine) to the shiny latex sock-boots that Saint Laurent ambassador-favorite Connor Storey wore with a matching trenchcoat, devilishly so — in the blazing heat for Thursday’s runway presentation. “I’m so hot! I’m sweating my ass off.” heated rivalry star Said Outside the show, incidentally supporting my previous point. (Of course, whether Storey will wear clear plastic lace-ups in the next runway show is more a matter of “when” than “if.”)
To that end: It is difficult to think about the consequences of their human application without considering wearing latex socks or plastic shoes on hot summer days. What about condensation? Those who were paying attention to fashion in 2018 will remember The infamous Yeezy PVC heels. (This wasn’t just limited to shoes: the collection also included raw leather briefs.) No need to get into the nitty-gritty of it, but where there’s heat, there’s humidity. Really kinky.
Funnily enough, the presentation began with steam: a wisp of wet fog that emerged from the rotunda floor. The fog itself was an idol called cloud #07156An installation of an intense fog by Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya, and it swirled around the room, sometimes obscuring the models on the runway, and leaving beads of condensation on the floor.
The mercurial haze emphasized Vaccarello’s theme of the shift between presence and absence this season. A press release for the collection described it as “a rejection of our need to always know, always speak, always see.” We have forgotten the joy of the unknown, the unseen and the untold. The joy of the invisible, of course. Of course, except when it comes to feet.
