Michel Tcherevkoff has imagined a line of shoes that is, quite possibly, perfect. His shoes will never scuff, fade, or wilt; they don't take up any space in the closet; and they will fit anyone. It's true that they cannot actually be worn, but the New York City-based photographer has convinced me that's a trifling technichality.
His Shoe Fleurs are fashioned with flowers, leaves, and grasses that he's culled from friends' gardens, local NYC markets, and exotic locations. In his studio, Tcherevkoff photographs the dissected plants, then weaves a heel and strap on his computer—all the while flirting with each flower, he tells me, to elicit its shoe design. And Tcherevkoff loves a good fantasy, and a good pun: Each design is accompanied by a line of provocative fantasy that gives the flower, and its foot (yours!) a sensational story.
Tcherevkoff's book, Shoe Fleur, includes an introduction by Diane von Furstenberg, and a preface by Ferruccio Ferragamo. He is designing two other collections of similar attire: one of lingerie, called Passion Flower, and one of hats, Chapeau de Fleur. Tcherevkoff's other photography includes advertising campaigns for clients including L'Oreal, Prescriptives, and Coca-Cola.
We've put together a selection of images from Shoe Fleur, along with Tcherevkoff's own descriptions of each shoe and the plants it is made from.
Left: Photographer Michel Tchervkoff
