October | 2010 | {LATEST WRINKLE}

I can still feel the cotton brushing against my skin as I ran around the boat that day. I felt free. I don’t know why this particular dress stays with me, but yes, free. Navy blue, with little white polka dots, and fire truck, red details, but most importantly, a beautiful sail boat. I was on a boat this day. Wearing a boat on my dress this day. I felt as if this boat was taking me places; on an adventure. I was hopeful to see whale or a dolphin, this was my passion in life, as much passion as a little girl is capable. This dress was the key to my future, how it made me feel like anything was possible, I was dressed for the life I was ready to live; in a way I was.

Knowing that the right outfit has the power of such strong emotions in the littlest girls imagination, really is the true power. We grow up and have a favorite dress or top or even pajamas. Why? Why do we favor one garment over another at the age of four? We are not dressing to impress anyone, not even ourselves yet, rather we dressedfor how it made us feel, that is everything.

Why? Why do I want to spend my life in fashion design? Okay, prepare for the cliche, cause here it comes… beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Now we have that out of the way, just because that navy blue cotton dress had such an impact on me as a girl, doesn’t mean I am going to begin designing adult sized sail boat dresses for women, for them to feel as if anything is possible and to inspire them. Frankly, it wouldnt, however the feeling is still there.

The Sail boat dress effect is real. That is something I want to be apart of. To take an art and create beautiful pieces. Women will be inspired by the beauty the world has to offer, and my sail boat dress will be right… I can do anything, I can bring provoking, beauty to the fashion industry. Nothing has ever felt more important to me, not since the that day, in that dress.

Alliteration, check.
Multicolored stained-glass leather, check.
A “Fluevoger’s” dream come true, check check.

Today my good friend Rachel and I landed at the Fox, Fluevog & Friends exhibit at the Museum of Vancouver. (Held over for another week)

As the story of influential shoe designers encircled the room, captured was the brilliant evolution of Fox, Fluevog, and yes, friends, like Ken Rice (really, he should have had a name that began with “F”, then maybe he wouldn’t have been limited to being placed under ‘friends’ in the title).

In 1970, John Fluevog, alongside co-worker and friend Peter Fox, opened their shoe company in Vancouver’s Gastown. “Fox and Fluevog,” lasted until 1981, when they went different directions.

Fluevog’s shoe designs were inspired and progressive for their time. For the most part his demographic was young and a little on the rebellious side of unconventional. This was at the hand of extreme shaped heels, experimental color combination, and the playfulness between fashion and functionality.

In 1980, Peter Fox went on to open up a store in New York City specializing in woman’s shoes (specifically bridal).

In the 90’s Fluevog gained mainstream attention on the runways of Anna Sui and Betsey Johnson, and with celebrities such as Madonna. The greatest push came from the Seattle Grunge Movement, with flannel shirts and Fluevog chunky Angel Boots, as a must.

The exhibit stood as a semi-chronological story of the relationships, but more inspiring the legend of the shoes. From reworked chunky clog boots to Victorian style velvet granny boots we experienced the ingenuity grew through the influence of one another, to create this wonderful retrospective of footwear to treasure.