"It was proclaimed throughout England that the beaks...of shoes or boots should not exceed two inches upon pain of cursing by the clergy and the forfeiting of 20 shillings."
- From a Royal edict of 1464 quoted by Joseph Strutt in: A complete view of the dress and habits of the people of England : from the establishment of the Saxons in Britain to the present time
London, 1799, II 110-111
Commissions - Shoes
The House of Embroidered Paper is currently developing a unique collection titled 300 years of Shoes.
You can be part of this! By commissioning a shoe.
Each shoe is to be reflective of a decade of history from the 1720's to the 2020's. None is to have a pair. Instead, like Cinderella's own, it will be imagined as the lost shoe of a woman from that particular moment in history. Each will be inspired by a particular bird or other winged creature.
Upon enquiry please state any preferences you have for the decade (and year) and the type of flying creature. We will get back to you as soon as possible, confirming whether these are suitable and if necessary work together to find alternatives.
Just as our ancestors sometimes wrote their names in their shoes, and historic shoe labels often included
an attribution to a person of note, your shoe could be attributed to someone special.
Please note - your shoe will be presented in a tailor made acrylic display case with a personally designed background. Bespoke frames are produced for The House of Embroidered Paper by Orchard framing, Horam
At the time of the commission you will be asked if you might be willing to have your shoe exhibited, once the 30 shoes in this collection are complete - possible venues are being explored with expected exhibition dates in 2025 and 2029.
