http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1312866/Selfridges-unveils-worlds-largest-shoe-department.html
Is this Carrie Bradshaw's fashion fantasy? Selfridges unveils the world's largest shoe department
By TAMARA ABRAHAM
Last updated at 3:29 PM on 17th September 2010
Last updated at 3:29 PM on 17th September 2010
Even Carrie Bradshaw could not have dreamed it up. 35,000 sq ft of shopping space dedicted sole-ly (sorry!) to shoes.
Last night, on the eve of London Fashion Week, Selfridges' new shoe department was finally unveiled.
Fashion royalty Vivienne Westwood and singer Alexandra Burke were among the guests celebrating the London department store's new Shoe Galleries, where Paolo Nutini serenaded guests.
Best foot forward: Selfridges' new 35,000 sq ft shoe department is bigger than Tate Modern's Turbine Hall
The vast space - which is bigger than Tate Modern's Turbine Hall - will showcase over 5,000 pairs of shoes from 120 brands, ranging from designer styles by the likes of Roger Vivier and Jimmy Choo, to collections from high street chains including River Island and All Saints.
Designed by architect Jamie Fobert, there are six different salons, each with a different look. In one, shoes are showcased like works of art on floating glass panes, appearing to float across the room. In another they are spotlit on long dark blue shelves.
Form and function: The shoes are displayed as works of art in the space designed by architect Jamie Fobert
Shop till you drop: There is plenty of comfortable seating as shoppers are likely to spend hours trying on shoes
And in anticipation of the shoppers likely to spend hours trying on the coveted designs, there is plenty of plush fuchsia pink seating.
The space will play host to 30 designs from labels including Balenciaga and Marc by Marc Jacobs, available exclusively to Selfridges.
There are 11 designer boutiques too, each with their own distinct style. The Chanel area is a recreation of Coco Chanel’s apartment, while the Christian Louboutin boutique boasts a red carpet and a trompe l’oeil chandelier.
Ugg Australia hopes to inspire shoppers to buy its sheepskin boots with a chalet-style boutique, while Topshop's is the brand's first footwear department outside of its own stores.
The department even has its own restaurant, an outpost of French eatery Aubaine, should you run out of steam mid-shop.
Selfridges’ director of accessories, Sebastian Manes, said: 'The Shoe Galleries will be a new and exciting way to experience shoe shopping within one huge space.
'The new department will fit perfectly into the essence of what Selfridges is - a place where everyone can find something extraordinary to buy, from the inexpensive to the luxurious.'
Selfridges' Shoe Galleries will open officially on September 23.
Suited and booted: A model poses with a mock newspaper at the launch of the new department last night, where guests dined on shoe-shaped cakes
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