Rayne Strappy Sandals, 1946/7. Image taken by Frances Spiegel with permission of the Fashion and Textile Museum, all rights reserved.
The Fashion and Textile Museum presents Rayne: Shoes for Stars. The exhibition coincides with the publication of a fully illustrated book of the same name by fashion historian Michael Pick.
Founded by Henry and Mary Rayne in London in 1885 as theatrical costumiers, Rayne’s early clients included dancers such as Anna Pavlova and Nijinsky as well as the Diaghilev Ballet.
Other well-known clients include Vivien Leigh, Marlene Dietrich, Brigitte Bardot, Princess Margaret, the late Diana, Princes of Wales, and HM Queen Elizabeth II.
Rayne received Royal Warrants from Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, and HM Queen Elizabeth II, who wore Rayne shoes for her wedding to HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947.
Rayne: Shoes for Stars – A Rare Opportunity for Footwear Fashionistas
Rayne Fluffy sandals. Image taken by Frances Spiegel with permission of the Fashion and Textile Museum, all rights reserved.
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Rayne: Shoes for Stars has taken more than two years to bring to fruition. The display offers a rare opportunity for lovers of shoes and design to enjoy a hugely varied display of over 100 pairs of shoes and boots.
Examples range from perspex-heeled evening sandals and fluffy feathered shoes to beautifully decorated leather boots.
The exhibition showcases boots and shoes created for Rayne by a who’s who of the greatest twentieth-century guest designers including Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies, Bruce Oldfield, Mary Quant and Roger Vivier.
Rayne shoes are always glamorous and often sensational. The present Rayne designer is Laurence Dacade.
An Interview with Curator Michael Pick
Travelling make-up box by Rayne. Image taken by Frances Spiegel with permission of the Fashion and Textile Museum, all rights reserved.
Michael Pick, curator of the exhibition, and author of several publications on design and the decorative arts spoke exclusively to Decoded Past about the exhibit.
Decoded Past: Why do you feel so passionately about fashion history and the history of shoes in particular?
Michael Pick: I am particularly passionate about British design history and keeping the knowledge of great past achievements alive, hence my books on fashion Be Dazzled! Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies. Both designers used Rayne and collaborated with him on shoe design, as did many others.
Decoded Past: With so much material to choose from how do you decide what items to include, and what to exclude?
Michael Pick: It is only possible to show a representative collection of 100 years of Rayne shoes made in their own British factories in London and Ipswich. The most beautiful were chosen displaying how a great variety of materials were used from fabrics to leathers. There are also many matching bags on show.
Decoded Past: You are also the author of the illustrated book RAYNE: Shoes for Stars – during your research for this publication did you discover anything that really surprised you?
Michael Pick: Yes, the passion and drive of founders Henry and Mary Rayne, again displaying the social mobility and possibilities for great financial success in nineteenth-century Britain. Their original theatrical costume business was the basis for Rayne’s subsequent success and fame with three Royal Warrants.
Decoded Past: What is your favourite item, and why?
Shoes for Rayne by Norman Hartnell for a summer collection. Image taken by Frances Spiegel with permission of the Fashion and Textile Museum, all rights reserved.
Michael Pick: Very difficult – I like so much, but two things really appeal to me. One is the early twentieth-century actor’s travelling make-up box made by Rayne. It is filled with some of their own branded Mona products. The other is my own pair of shoes by Norman Hartnell, designed by him for a summer collection.
Rayne: Shoes for Stars at Fashion and Textile Museum
Rayne: Shoes for Stars offers a unique opportunity to explore some of the finest British footwear created by some of the finest twentieth-century designers. The exhibition is open from 22nd May to 29th August 2015.
As an added bonus, visitors will also see Riviera Style Resort & Swimwear since 1900. This exhibition presents one hundred years of clothing worn in and by the sea. Tickets and information about both exhibitions are available from the Fashion and Textile Museum.
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