If you've been researching something for a long time and you end up visiting an archive where a specific object connected with your research is stored, at some point you will inevitably behave like a fool in front of the main archivist.
Usually this happens once you're confronted with the object of your desires and you can finally touch it (albeit with a gloved hand...) and examine it in person.
I personally behaved like a fool in many occasions and in different museum and library archives, almost crying in some cases or begging the archivist to let me photocopy something that couldn't be photocopied.
I recently did it again when I visited the Dal Co' archives in Rome and, while digging here and there for other reasons, I accidentally stumbled upon Niki de Saint Phalle's shoes (check out previous posts about the her to discover some connections between fashion and de Saint Phalle).
Silvia Petrucci-Dal Co', the Creative Director and Manager of the brand, explained me the shoes can be dated to the '90s. De Saint Phalle walked into the shop and ordered shoes in this colour combination and with these intrecciato motifs and she also ordered a matching bag (unfortunately, I couldn't take a picture of that).
The colours call to mind Niki de Saint Phalle's palette for her sculptures such as her “Nanas”, de Saint Phalle's papier-mâché female figures.
In fact the multi-coloured sole actually reminds me of the stripy dresses and costumes that some of her Nanas such as “The Guardian Angel” wear.
The artist forgot to retire her shoes and bag so they were then transferred to the Dal Co's archives.
I thought this was an interesting story and a proof of a genuine connection between art and fashion compared to the more artificial and commercial contemporary collaborations such as the one between Louis Vuitton and Kusama.
Obviously I made a fool of myself begging to take a picture of the shoes. Mrs Petrucci-Dal Co' who's an art expert and often collaborated with famous Rome-based artists who hand-painted her pumps, court shoes and stilettos, looked at me with a rather bemused expression on her face as I took my pictures while enthusing about my findings like a little girl in a candy shop.
I guess I burnt any chance of ever getting a job as head reseacher at their brand for my over-enthusiastic reaction, still it was worth every minute of it. More surprises will follow, promise...
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