The ’12 Shoes for 12 Lovers’ collection by New York-based Chilean designer Sebastian Errazuriz prove how powerful life experiences can shape art and fashion. He decided to immortalize 12 of his past relationships using defining characteristics of his ex lovers’ personalities transposed into unique shoe creations that are definite conversation starters. Turning relationships that went south into sculptural shoes is definitely an interesting concept, but when paired with personal anecdotes which briefly describe the story behind each creation definitely takes things to a whole new, personal level.
Though he first wanted to paint portraits of his former lovers, he encountered roadblocks when it came to getting permission. However, when it came to creating shoes, everything changed: “Women love shoes, and in a tiny way, a part of their identity gets trapped there. I thought it would be ironic if I myself tried to capture a part of the personality of each one in a shoe.” So, he contacted each of his exes and changed their names to protect their identity and thus the ‘12 Shoes for 12 Lovers‘ project began.
The line features both flattering and unflattering descriptions accompanied by both funny and heart-wrenching stories, which are shared on Errazuriz’s blog. The shoes have revealing names: Sophie The Ice Queen, Laura The Heartbreaker, Allison The Gold Digger, Jessica The Jet Setter, Alexandra The Cry Baby, Rachel The Boss, Valentina The Ghost, Alice The Rock, Barbara The GI Jane, Anna The Virgin, Caroline The Hot B—ch and ‘Honey’ Natasha.
Was the ’12 Shoes for 12 Lovers’ project cathartic? The statements made by the artist definitely seem to point in that direction: “When I started this process I never imagined where it would end up, it’s been infinitely more complex, revealing and difficult than I thought.” Still, he considers himself lucky to have met such interesting personalities. As for the shoes made using a 3D printer, they aren’t available for purchase, and no plans to mass-produce the creations have been made yet.
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Photos: 12shoesfor12lovers
