Konten [Tampil]
 |
| Valentino Butterfly heels, £4,390 |
Shoe Heaven is a place in Harrods This month Harrods celebrates its new art deco-style, 42,000 square foot shoe department with an exclusive collection of “Silver Linings” designer shoes
Step into the celestial blue sky-wallpapered express lift on the ground floor of Harrods and you’ll be whisked directly to a place that, if you worship at the altar of Louboutin or are a devout follower of Jimmy Choo, more than merits its grandiose epithet. This is Shoe Heaven, Harrods’s spanking new women's footwear emporium. Pearly gates may be replaced by a sophisticated, marble-clad lobby, but even those who don’t buy into the shoe-as-deity theme will recognise that it is vastly, impressively unlike any other shoe department in the world.
 |
| Manolo Blahnik Silver Linings mules, £675, exclusive to Harrods Shoe Heaven |
For starters, it spans almost 42,000 square feet. Encompassing the entire fifth floor in what was formerly the department store’s staff canteen, Shoe Heaven offers over 100,000 pairs of shoes from over 55 designers, 17 of which have their own boutique within the department. The scale is phenomenal. The floor is a veritable labyrinth of concessionary zones showcasing niche and up-and-coming designers including Charlotte Olympia, Paul Andrew and Gianvito Rossi, punctuated by grand, lobby-like areas displaying exclusive pop-ups or limited-edition collections, and interspersed with plush boutiques from the “big guns”; including Christian Louboutin, Saint Laurent, Dior, Prada, Chanel, Jimmy Choo, Roger Vivier, Miu Miu, Valentino and more – many of which are larger than each brand’s own flagship store.
Each boutique offers the brand’s entire footwear collection along with styles produced exclusively for Harrods (more of which later), including Shoe Heaven’s most expensive shoe: a pair of crystal-embellished Valentino butterfly heels which retail at £4,390. If you can’t find the shoe you want here, you won’t find it anywhere. A selection of the boutiques, including Louboutin, have private shopping suites for VIPs to peruse the shoes away from prying eyes and with a glass of champagne; an option that will no doubt appeal to shoe-mad hen parties too.
 |
| Gucci Silver Linings Horsebit loafers, £390, exclusive to Harrods Shoe Heaven |
And then there's the interior design. Shoe Heaven was the last project for the late David Collins, the designer behind glamorous bars and restaurants such as The Wolseley, Claridge's Bar and Nobu Berkeley. Working closely with Harrods’s fashion director Helen David, who dreamt up the concept of Shoe Heaven over two years ago, David Collins Studio has created a truly stunning, art deco-inspired space with over 2,110 square metres of marble, 400 square metres of plush carpet and elegant rotundas with ambient lighting to showcase special collections – a feature which David, a fan of art deco architecture, counts as one of her favourites.
“During the initial phase of planning Shoe Heaven I met with and considered a few architects,” David explains. “However, when I met with David and his team, and they presented their design proposal I knew that they would be the ones to translate my vision into reality. The interpretation of the brief they had been given was spot on; we had an instant connection. In terms of design the department is in its own league.”
Each boutique has its own distinctive style; a collaboration between designer and architect to reflect the brand’s identity while complementing the department’s overall theme. And the attention to detail is second to none. All of the furniture and fittings are bespoke, created under David’s steely supervision. Stuart Weitzman’s space includes a Zaha Hadid-designed sculpture while the sofas in the Prada boutique were custom-made for Harrods’s Pradasphere exhibition.
The lavish interior lends the department a remarkably luxurious feel, more akin to a five-star hotel than retail space. “In womenswear, shoes have been one of our fastest growing categories over the last few years. We needed to do something spectacular to celebrate this category,” explains David. “Harrods Shoe Heaven will be home to all the best shoes from the world’s leading and need-to-know designers. The space will be more ‘Penthouse’ and less ‘Shoe Floor’, creating a luxurious and sophisticated environment with flagship shops for all of our biggest brands.”
To celebrate the launch of this shoe-lover’s paradise, Harrods is launching “Silver Linings”: a collection of 37 iconic shoes recreated in silver and available exclusively at Shoe Heaven. Thirty-five designers have reinvented some of their best selling shoes (Dior and Giuseppe Zanotti have each created a sneaker and a stiletto) in a metallic finish, including a pair of silver Valentino Rockstuds, Gucci’s iconic horse-bit loafers in silver and a pair of hot pink, silver-buckled mules from Manolo Blahnik. In good time for the party season, Silver Linings is the first in what’s sure to be a long line of exclusive designer collections commissioned by David and her team.
In pictures: best of the Silver Linings collection
Shoe Heaven continues Harrods's multi-million pound refurbishment as it attempts to reposition itself in the luxury retail market. A brand new, 5,000 square foot fragrance department is due to open in September, while the store continues to expand and upgrade its women’s accessories department with the addition of brands like Ethan K and Victoria Beckham.
With its inviting interior and artistic displays, Shoe Heaven is the type of place one could happily while away most of the day. And, more to the point, you’d probably have to. The selection is so overwhelmingly vast – the store stocks 27 varieties of Giuseppe Zanotti's cult high-tops alone – that, despite the 150 sales assistant on hand, choosing just the one pair of shoes may require divine intervention.
