Sophia Webster Makes Shoes for the Magical Creature in Every Woman
Today at her London Fashion Week presentation, Sophia Webster transformed the private, member's-only Hospital Club into a deep-sea dive where we explored the natural habitat of the mermaids. But the mythical creatures weren't doing mermaid things like brushing their hair, or luring sailors to their doom with siren songs — they were waiting on their laundry.
Speaking with Yahoo Style, Webster called the concept for her show: "Mermaid Launderette — it's where the mermaids come for a couple of hours, wash their tails, and dream of having feet before they get their tail back on." Indeed, there were mermaids waiting for the spin cycle to complete near a clothesline where tails hung to dry with giant clothespins. Others lounged, Venus-style, on sand dunes or satin-lined clamshells. Of course, the mermaids take the opportunity to try on Sophia Webster's giddily femme shoes while they're tail-less.
Mermaids make a fitting addition to Webster's list of inspirations, which have for past collections included such unabashedly whimsical things as butterflies, Barbie, Gwen Stefani, and the circus. But despite her accessories' girly-girl origin stories, the designer's pleased that they speak to many kinds of women.
"I've done a lot of personal appearances in stores, and it's amazing what a broad range of women wear them," she told Yahoo Style. "I think there's a certain sensibility, rather than a style, that they appeal to — a femininity, a creativity, an appreciation for special details."
Indeed, the show today was packed with everyone from big-name bloggers, to the most haute-fashion editors from Paris, all seemingly taken with Webster's world — as many have been since she introduced her line three years ago. Webster says she'll never forget the first time she realized her designs were a hit:
"A few years ago, my husband and I were outside my office. We saw a lady cycling by, dressed really cool, wearing my heeled jelly shoes. It was such an 'oh my god' moment — to see this amazingly cool girl cycling in my heels. She was definitely a Sophia Webster girl."
Whether it's mermaids at the laundromat, or the glamorous girl cycling in fancy heels, Webster has a fascination for the quotidian life of magical creatures. Today's show was, in a way, a tribute to every girl who dreams of finding a pair of Sophia Webster shoes on her feet someday. And the essence of her accessories' appeal is they make real life feel downright magic.
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