To Celebrate Oz's 70th, Designers Re-do Dorothy's Kicks With Proceeds Benefitting Charity

Above: Sergio Rossi, Gwen Stefani and Moschino's sketches of their versions of Dorothy’s ruby slippers


Above: Faded ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz, designed by Hollywood costume designer Gilbert Adrian, 1938. His first Arabian-style test pair was deemed too exotic for Dorothy (now in a Private collection.)

The Press Release, May 17, 2008:

Warner Bros. Consumer Products and CRYSTALLIZED(TM) - Swarovski Elements Embark on a Ruby Crystal-Studded 70th Anniversary Celebration of The Wizard of Oz

"If Dorothy were living in the 21st century, what would she wear?" is the question being answered by The Wizard of Oz Ruby Slipper Collection, a creative re-interpretation of one of film's most iconic and revered symbols that has captured the hearts and imaginations of people the world over.


Above: Jimmy Choo sketch

In anticipation of the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz in 2009, Warner Bros. Consumer Products in partnership with CRYSTALLIZED(TM) - Swarovski Elements, have invited the world's top shoe designers to reinterpret Dorothy's iconic Ruby Slippers for modern times. The exclusive collection will be auctioned with the proceeds benefiting the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.


Above: Amy Smilovic for Tibi sketch

Contemporary works of art from the likes of fashion masterminds A. Testoni, Abaete, Alberta Ferretti Betsey Johnson, Botkier, Christian Louboutin, Diane von Furstenberg, Giuseppe Zanotti, Jimmy Choo, L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, Lisa Pliner, Manolo Blahnik, Moschino, Oscar de la Renta, Roger Vivier, Sergio Rossi, Stuart Weitzman, Tibi, and Tuleh will compose The Wizard of Oz Ruby Slipper Collection.


Above: A. Testoni sketch

"The Wizard of Oz is a quintessential and endearing story that has touched countless people all over the world during the last 70 years," said Karen McTier, Executive Vice President of Domestic Licensing and Worldwide Marketing, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. "We are proud to be the stewards of this timeless classic and are excited to share with fans the beautiful and fun modern interpretations of Dorothy's Ruby Slipper with this exciting new collection."


Above: Betsey Johnson sketch

Nadja Swarovski adds, "We're thrilled to turn fashion's spotlight on the most iconic pair of shoes, Dorothy's Ruby Slippers, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. As Hollywood's premier crystal purveyor, Swarovski feels privileged to be a sparkling element of the original pair and now, we are looking forward to new creative interpretations of the Ruby Slipper for the 21st century by these talented designers."


Above: Botkier sketch

The designers have been granted creative license and access to unlimited CRYSTALLIZED(TM) - Swarovski Elements to re-imagine Dorothy's design with their own modern vision of the sparkling Ruby Slipper. The Wizard of Oz Ruby Slipper Collection will be on display for one week and officially unveiled at Saks Fifth Avenue - in the famed Fifth Avenue windows and 10022-SHOE - the designer shoe salon that's so big it has its own zip code. An in-store gala event on the evening of September 4 will launch Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. The event will benefit philanthropic partner Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and kick-off support for the Foundation's annual Kids for Kids Family Carnival.

Steve Sadove, Chairman and CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue said, "We are so pleased to be hosting such a creative and innovative tribute to the American classic film The Wizard of Oz. The Ruby Slippers play an integral role in the film and Saks Fifth Avenue is honored to be the destination for the most celebrated designers and their contemporary take on these iconic shoes."

The Collection will also be showcased at an incredible installation surrounding the famed fountain area at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week's Bryant Park tents beginning September 5th.

"It's only appropriate to bring such a cultural icon to center stage at this season's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week," said IMG Fashion Senior Vice President Fern Mallis. "The Wizard of Oz is a true classic, it will never go out of style and who doesn't want a pair of Ruby Slippers?"


Above: Gwen Stefani, L.A.M.B. sketch

After Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week wraps the Ruby Slipper Collection will make an appearance at Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation's Kids for Kids Family Carnival in New York City's Park Avenue Armory Building on September 20. "We are absolutely delighted to be a part of this re-imagining of the Ruby Slippers--these iconic fashion images that also represent the power of positive thinking," says Pamela W. Barnes, CEO and President of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. "We are certain that the Ruby Slipper Collection will inspire the hearts and imaginations of the next generation as we work together to combat HIV/AIDS around the world."

Additional stops for the Collection include Miami Art Week to coincide with Art Basel Miami Beach December 4-8th. Multiple public viewings are planned throughout 2009.

Following a year of being highlighted at special events around the country, the complete and original The Wizard of Oz Ruby Slipper Collection will be auctioned at a gala event in fall 2009 with the proceeds benefiting the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

About The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz is one of the most beloved and iconic motion pictures of all time filled with timeless sentiments and values cherished by multiple generations. Originally released in 1939, more than one billion consumers have experienced the classic story of Dorothy and friends in the Land of Oz


Above: A still from Warner Brother's Wizard Of Oz, 1939


See the finished shoe designs here!

About Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.

About CRYSTALLIZED(TM) - Swarovski Elements

CRYSTALLIZED(TM) is the brand name for all loose crystal elements by Swarovski, the world's leading producer of precision-cut crystal. Over the past decades CRYSTALLIZED(TM) - Swarovski Elements have become an essential ingredient in international fashion and design. The unique brand tag "Made with CRYSTALLIZED(TM) - Swarovski Elements" serves as quality proof of the customers' products to enhance the value and provide consumers assurance that they are buying the finest quality in crystal. For more information please visit WWW.CRYSTALLIZED.COM.

About Saks Fifth Avenue

Saks Fifth Avenue, one of the world's pre-eminent specialty retailers, is renowned for its superlative American and international designer apparel collections, its expertly edited assortment of handbags, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics and gifts, and the first-rate fashion expertise and exemplary client service of its Associates. Today, Saks operates 54 full-line stores in 25 states, three licensed stores in Mexico City, Dubai and Riyadh, 49 Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH stores and saks.com, the company's online store.

About Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation


The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is a worldwide leader in the fight against pediatric AIDS. Its innovative research programs, collaborative training initiatives, advocacy efforts, and rapidly expanding international prevention and treatment programs are bringing dramatic changes to the lives of children worldwide. To learn more about the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and its programs, visit www.pedaids.org.

THE WIZARD OF OZ and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and (C) Turner Entertainment Co. (s08)Edelman Holly Fussell, 212-704-8132 Holly.Fussell@edelman.com Matt Lifson, 323-202-1047 matthew.lifson@edelman.com or Warner Bros. Consumer Products Kerstine Johnson, 818-954-3821 kerstine.johnson@wbconsultant.com

Design The Next Pair Of Dr. Martens Boots!

Choose your canvas: the 8-hole or the 14-hole boot. Use pens, use paint, use whatever. Use your imagination. They've provided some tools here. They've made it fun and easy, with templates, you can download, color changing with the click of a mouse, and more. So don't be intimidated... go for it.



Or if you want, you can use your own tools and templates. They will have two winners. One voted for by the people. The other chosen by their panel of industry insiders. You enter it. They’ll actually make them. You’ll see them in shops. Worldwide.

Last year's winners available for purchase:


above:
A custom design by Jeremy Asher Lynch of San Diego, CA, entitled "Faces." 2007 winner of our boot design contest. This is a limited edition and each pair is numbered. Buy the 'faces' boot in the US here.

Your competition (or inspiration).

Above: design of the week as selected by the panel of judges.

Below are the highest rated top ten designs as of sunday, june 8th:






A bit of background on Dr. Martens:

Klaus Maertens

Dr. Martens is the stuff of legends. It all began near Munich, Germany in 1945 when Dr. Klaus Maertens injured his foot in a skiing accident in the Bavarian Alps. To make walking easier during the healing process, he designed a shoe with an air-cushioned sole. Using old rubber tires, he constructed soles that had air trapped within closed compartments. He showed his prototype to his engineer/inventor friend, Dr. Herbert Funck, and together they decided to develop and produce the shoes. Not only did the shoe solve the doctor’s immediate problem, but it also started to sell well in Germany.

On April 1st, 1960, the famous eight-hole Dr. Martens boot – the so-called 1460 was born. This was followed by the 1914 with its 14-holes. Both of these boots were immediately embraced as a working-class essential across the UK.



But then something incredible started to happen. Like some viral infection, the postmen, factory workers and transport unions who had initially bought the boot by the thousand, were joined by the rejects, outcasts and rebels from the fringes of society. At first, it was the working-classes; before long it was the masses.



Skinheads were the first subculture to adopt the boot in the early 1960s. They were followed by nearly all the tribes that emerged over the next four decades: Mods, glam rockers, punks, ska, psychobillies, grebos, goths, industrialists, nu-metal, hardcore, straight-edge, grunge, Britpop, emo… etc.

Subcultures are exactly that – outside of mainstream culture – true to form these disparate ‘tribes’ rapidly began customising the boots: hot knifing, spraying, cutting, painting, deliberately roughing them up or obsessively polishing them to a luminous shine.



High fashion has similarly messed around with the core design in order to include the famous boot in their collections over the last 50 years. Designers who have produced their own unique customisations include Manolo Blahnik, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivian Westwood, Gareth Pugh and most recently Yohji Yamamoto.

Regardless of whether it was a street tribe, musician or fashion legend who was personalising this iconic footwear, the common denominator was the ‘person’, the individual, the creative streak that lies deep within every Dr. Martens wearer. No marketing was ever needed, or used, to create this cycle of invention, and as such this forged a purity that has made the boot one of the most recognisable symbols of creativity and rebellion purely through the people who’ve worn them.

We will be forever indebted to the people who have made us what we are today and continue to do so by using Dr. Martens boots as a blank canvas for their own relentless creativity.

above photos and information courtesy of dr. martens

Now, get designing!

Funky Find Of The Week: Balenciaga's Caged Shoes

Nope, they're not protoypes, they are actual women's shoes from the famous Couture House, Balenciaga.

Described as Caged Sandals and Caged Boots, these shoes from their women's collection take inspiraton from ski boots and bindings.

To see Balenciaga's full women's shoe collection, click here.

If you must simply have a pair of these fugly shoes, contact them here:

US
Balenciaga America Inc.
542 West 22nd Street
N.Y., N.Y. 10011