Last night, Feb. 27, the inaugural “Fashion on Film” event took place as part of SAC Fashion Week.
Surprisingly, none of the films featured shoes, or even highlighted precious footwear even though high heels have been around for centuries.
Although not a single film focused on foot fashions, you could tell that practically every woman present was well aware of the accessory that adds glamour to the lower limbs.
Even the 6’1” Master of Cerimonies, Lari Myamoto, donned 6” heels for the occasion, putting her at a height towering above most of the men
Lana Kuzmenko and Yelena Zhurko, two fashion divas were elegantly dressed – Kuzmenko wore a mid-thigh-length dress made of a black chiffon material embellished with blue sparkles; the dress accentuated her curves. Complementing her dress and legs were black patent leather peep toe heels that revealed her glossy black polished toes.
Kuzmenko and Zhurko are sisters - born in Russia, they immigrated to America at a young age and have much more in common than being Russian and being sisters – they both “love, love shoes!”
Zhurko wearing form fitting black leather pants and standing in 5” patent leather pumps that matched her taupe button-up blouse said, “I have many shoes.”
How many is many?
She said that she didn’t have much space for shoes, but “I do have a lot,” she said.
“I love heels. Heels make me feel more elegant, classy and make me feel good. Without heels, I do feel like a little girl,” Zhurko said.
Her sibling could enumerate her shoes, roughly. The 5’ 5” Kuzmenko said, “I have about 70 to 80 pair.”
Lookout Imelda Marcos!
Kuzmenko said that she that she just recently had to give away about 30 pairs of shoes because she moved to a new place with a smaller closet.
She said, “I love wearing heels. They make me feel better about myself.”
High heels shoes have been around according to historians for ages. Elevating the soles of people began as utilitarian, but soon after became symbols of upper class.
Depicted on murals dating back to 3500 B.C., Egyptian butchers wore high heels according to RandomHistory.com, “to help them walk above the blood of dead beasts.” In the Middle Ages, men and women wore “pattens” to lift the fragile, expensive foot coverings above “the mud and street debris.”
Marshana Rae, a leggy lady at the event modeled a pair of 6” sandal heels designed with a palette of three colors and highlighted with rhinestones. Rae modeled the shoes for Z Boutique, a local Elk Grove shop owned and operated by Zina Beard.
Rae also said she has a love for high heels. “They tend to be more stylish than say a flat or sneaker. They also accentuate your legs. I already have long legs, but they make mine appear even longer,” she said. She estimated the number of pairs in her closet – “easily at least 30 pairs.”
As the trio of ladies sauntered through the crowd, you could almost hear the necks cracking as men quickly turned their heads to check them out. And you could hear the women murmuring, “I just love those shoes… wonder where she got them?”
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