A wonderful collaboration of two British brands brings an assemblage of vibrant prints, inspired by the fabulous ‘70s. Ravel and the Victoria and Albert Museum, the world’s leading museum of art and design, bring you an exclusive collection inspired by the V&A’s archive of distinctive and popular 20th century textile designs. Created for SS17, the capsule collection of four classic styles includes a heeled court shoe, a block heeled sandal, a summer wedge and a structured flat shoe. In this ladies footwear range there really is a shoe style for everyone!
This exciting and innovative collection of women’s shoes is based around a striking floral and geometric print – both hand selected from the museum’s archive by the Ravel and V&A team. We wanted to encapsulate a summer print that would brighten up an outfit and bring life to ordinary shoe designs, making them a statement footwear option for those wanting something more from their everyday shoe, whether for work or play.
Taking influence from the 70s, a decade when Ravel was Carnaby Street’s top footwear destination, this range features fun, bright prints by renowned artist Mary Yonge (1908-2010) that successfully reflect Ravel’s signature sharp sense of style. Yonge taught at the Central School of Arts and Design and had a long and successful career designing bold and exciting fashion and furnishing prints for the major textiles manufacturers of the time. By turning her patterns into everyday footwear, it’s possible to enjoy the unique prints as not only works of art, but as practical items too.
Yonge’s striking textiles have been injected into the Ravel SS17 collection, including a brightly coloured pattern, composed of densely-packed flowers in pink and red paint, against an orange background, also composed of petal-like shapes. This floral pattern is ideal for summertime and we can just envisage them being teamed with floaty maxi dresses or capri pants for that holiday look. This collection of ladies footwear is a dream range for those who covet the popular bohemian trends of the groovy 70’s decade.
The below pattern draws heavily from the 70’s with bold colour blocking designs, composed of turquoise hexagons of increasing size arranged in rows, first alternating with brown diamonds, then surrounded by brown hexagons which form a connected lattice. This geometric pattern is very on-trend with modern fashion footwear, and the different shoe styles on offer means that you can choose to wear the same design in various situations and occasions. The court shoe and flat pump will deliver a delightful touch of subtle colour to a work day outfit, whilst the heeled sandal and wedges will give an extra style boost to casual outfits. Team with your favourite pair of skinny jeans or a midi length skirt to get the most out of these V&A shoes.
The Ravel design team worked closely with the V&A to retain the authenticity of the original printed fabrics and designed, and each pattern has been artfully re-imagined, with no compromise on the design or quality of the materials used to create each pair of shoes.
One of the more unexpected of designs in this fabulous V&A museum collaboration with Ravel is the pointed toe court shoes in a classic nude patent finish and distinctive red floral print lining reflected in the other V&A footwear pattern. These beautiful pointed toe court shoes are perfect for working into an office wardrobe due to their smart appearance and ability to be styled with any outfit. The mid heel offers just the right amount of height whilst the bohemian interior lining retains an amount of personality. Every woman needs a versatile shoe that will be comfortable and fashionable in equal measures, and we believe this V&A nude patent shoe is right on the money in terms of classic silhouette with an injection of retro decorative design.
If you’re a fan of 70s fashion, art and footwear, then the Ravel x V&A ladies footwear collection will be perfect for you! With the fashionable throwback inspiration behind the designs and created from high quality materials, each shoe is a versatile footwear option for any woman. From bohemian floral patterns to geometric inspired prints and a neutral shoe that every woman should have in her collection, there’s a style for everyone.
Take a closer look at the range to discover your favourite shoe design in one of the superb patterns taken straight from the famous museum’s archive and receive free UK delivery with your order.