Best known for his trademark use of unique materials, including cork, vinyl, Lucite and wallpaper, and his creationof one-of-a-kind, "million dollar" shoes for Oscar nominees to wear at the Academy Awards (including the diamondencrusted platinum sandals worn by Laura Harring in 2002), Stuart Weitzman's own private collection of historic shoes, features a similarly eclectic range of styles and materials. An introduction by Weitzman explains why his collection is both a celebration of unusual and elegant detail and construction, and an inspiration in the creation of his own designs. This is followed by an exploration of how 20thcentury design and culture - architecture, popular dances, Hollywood, politics and the emerging feminist movement - influenced shoe design and manufacture, wonderfully illustrated with examples from the Weitzman collection and contextual images. AUTHORS: Edward Maeder is the founding director of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. Stuart A. Weitzman is the founder of the eponymous shoe company Stuart Weitzman. Valerie Paley is Director, Center for Women's History, VP and Chief Historian, New-York Historical Society. SELLING POINTS: . This dazzling new book explores 20th-century footwear design and manufacture . Lavishly illustrated with 100 colour photographs of some amazing shoes from Stuart Weitzman's private collection . A must-have keepsake for fans of all things shoe related 180 colour illustrations

Edward Maeder has held curatorial positions at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and was Founding Director of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. Stuart A. Weitzman is an American designer, entrepreneur and founder of the eponymous international, high-end shoe company, Stuart Weitzman.