John Fuevog's "Munster" Shoes

 

Born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, footwear designer John Fluevog began his career in the late 1960's at local shoe shop Sheppard's Shoes.  In 1970, he formed a partnership with Peter Fox to design and sell stylish shoes under the name Fox and Fluevog.

After an amicable split in 1981, Fluevog went on to open his first independent store, John Fluevog Shoes, in 1985.

Fluevog's quirky and avant-garde designs garnered him a cult following with the creative, artistic and rebellious crowd.  From ultra-pointy to overly-round toes, platform shoes, severely squared heels, handmade clogs; and adorned with art-deco designs, swirly, colorful patterns, peace signs, hearts, etc.

In 1990, Lady Miss Kier donned a pair of John Fluevog's Munster shoes on Deee-Lite's World Clique album cover, thus making the trumpet-heeled platforms an iconic symbol of the '90s House/Club underground DJ scene...

A limited-edition re-issue is available at the John Fluevog website.

 

images: fluevog.com

Great Expectations

Showing at Cinéma du Parc this week is Great Expectations, a short feature on the history of visionary architecture. Some of the most innovative structures of the 20th century are highlighted, including 2 Expo 67 attractions: Buckminster Fuller's U.S. pavilion, and Moshe Safdie's Habitat 67; as well as Jacque Fresco's retro-futuristic Venus Project.

This film is being presented tonight and tomorrow night, along with Kochuu: Japanese Architecture/Influence & Origin...

Jacque Fresco

Born on March 13, 1916, Jacque Fresco is an industrial engineer, architectural designer and futurist based in Florida.

His formative years during the Great Depression greatly influenced his desire to create solutions that maximally benefit the greatest number of people. Fresco has worked as both designer and inventor in a wide range of fields such as biomedical innovations, integrated social systems and prefabricated housing.

Fresco is interested in the integration of science and technology into a comprehensive plan for a new society, based on human and environmental concern. His organization, The Venus Project, promotes a global vision of hope for the future of humankind.

The Venus Project website states:

"The plans for The Venus Project offer society a broader spectrum of choices based on the scientific possibilities inherent in current technology and direct that knowledge toward a new era of peace and sustainability for all cultures. Through the implementation of a resource-based economy, and a multitude of innovative and environmentally friendly technologies directly applied to the social system, The Venus Project proposals dramatically reduce crime, poverty, hunger, homelessness, and many other pressing problems that are common throughout the world today."

Sounds and looks like something straight out of Expo 67!

images: www.thevenusproject.com

Michel Robichaud

Born in 1939, Montreal designer Michel Robichaud studied in both Montreal and Paris before opening his couture house in 1963. In 1964, Robichaud successfully re-vamped Air Canada's flight attendant uniforms, prompting mayor Jean Drapeau to call upon him for Expo 67's hostess outfits, after an unsuccessful design competition yielded no satisfactory results.

Robichaud recalls that the infamous powder blue uniforms he designed for general Expo hostesses were actually quite in tune with 60's street fashion, except for the tri-color hats. These were designed with function in mind, meant to be instantly visible in a crowd. Combs were fitted into them, to prevent hostesses from losing their hats on the often-windy Expo islands.

Michel Robichaud also designed the uniforms for 10 other Expo pavilions, including Air Canada, Indians of Canada as well as a last minute design for Germany's hostesses. [Germans were under the impression that Canada was bitterly cold year-round, designing uniforms that were way too hot for humid July weather...]

At the time, Robichaud dressed all of Montreal high society. Among his clients was mayor Drapeau's wife, for whom he designed 15 evening ensembles for her to wear to Expo 67 related social functions...

images: (top) cyberpresse.ca (bottom) library and archives Canada

Marmalade Clothing

I came across this while reading one of my fave blogs: The World of Kane.

Marmalade Clothing is an independent fashion label owned and operated by Toronto-based designer Magdalena Sokolowska. Originally a boutique in hip Kensington Market of Toronto, Marmalade closed its retail location in order to concentrate solely on wholesale and online orders.

The unabashed mod/retro reference totally appeals to me! I love the bold, geometric shapes, as well as the oh-so-60's color combinations!

images: www.myspace.com/marmaladeclothing

André Courreges

André Courrèges was born in 1923 in Pau, France.

Courreges shot to couture stardom in the mid-1960's with his Moon Girl look. Revolutionary in their styling, his clothes were sharp, angular and subject to a highly disciplined design. This uncluttered aesthetic became Courreges' signature, and quickly spread throughout the fashion world.

André Courreges' designs included boldly-piped trapeze dresses, coats, and skinny pants, worn with chin-strapped bonnets or oversized sunglasses. Credited as one of the originators of the mini-skirt, his hemlines were the shortest in Paris. Colors included pink, white, ice-blue, pale turquoise, day-glow orange and lime green.

Arguably, Courreges' greatest contribution to the fashion world was his low-heeled, calf-high boots made of white plastic. These Go-Go boots moved quickly from catwalk to street and dance floor.

images: worldofkane.blogspot.com and flickr.com

Jenn Ski

Jennifer Skoropowski had been working as a freelance graphic designer. Frustrated by the fact that the kind of design work she enjoyed (the really creative and cutting-edge stuff) was hard to come by, she decided to stop freelancing, and began focusing on her art.

In early 2007 she launched Jenn Ski (a pseudonym based on her high school nickname). She is currently making wall art: paintings (acrylic and paper on hardboard) and poster prints. Jenn plans to expand her art to include pottery, pillows, stationary, etc.

The mix of organic pod shapes with a retro touch totally appeals to me!

Visit her website at jennski.com