Damesschoen van goudtorrenleer met enkelband afgebiesd met gouddraad c. 1925

These women's shoes are made from beetle wing leather with an ankle strap edged with gold thread, likely at some point in the early 20th century. The material is so rich, this beautiful iridescent surface, that seems both strong and delicate. You can imagine that the maker spent a lot of time finding the right kind of beetle, maybe even raising them. The shape of the shoe itself is so elegant, so feminine. It's almost like a sculpture, and you can see how much care went into every stitch. I'm drawn to the way the gold thread catches the light. It reminds me of the way artists use highlights to create depth and dimension. These shoes remind me of work by someone like Iris van Herpen, who is always pushing the boundaries of what fashion can be and how it can interact with the body. This piece is not just about fashion, it is about art, about beauty, and about the way we express ourselves.