Megan Evans,

Correspondent (Fashion)

 

PARIS – Celebrated footwear designer, Sergio Rossi had his classic Chelsea boot created into an impressive work of Chinese art for the Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain, the annual contemporary art festival in Paris.

Talented Chinese artist Peng Wei, has created eight unique Chelsea boots made out of delicate rice paper. Too fragile to wear, Wei spent time sensitively hand-painting each boot with traditional Chinese patterns and emblems. The results are stunning; paying homage to the time-honoured art form that China is so proud of.

Peng Wei is cherished in her home country for her beautiful artwork; she is particularly well known for her intricate ink colour paintings on silk and paper. Many of her pieces have been displayed at locations such as the Plum Blossom Gallery in Hong Kong and the China National Art Museum. She has a long list of prestigious exhibitions where her brilliant works of art have been shown. Wei was the perfect choice for this collaboration, possessing imagination, pure talent and a gentle hand.

There have been many debates around the issue of whether fashion can truly be considered ‘art’. To have one of your classic designs immortalized by art is something exceptional and inspiring, emphasizing the beauty in the design itself. Although sold commercially and replicated in the high street at affordable prices, high fashion is essentially very artistic – only imagination and pure talent could come up with some of the designs seen on the catwalk at all major fashion weeks!

But this partnership of artist and designer and the results from that collaboration could put an end to such pessimism and demonstrate how the artistic mind and the mind of the fashion designer are not too dissimilar. If combined, their ideas and imagination can produce exceptionally elegant masterpieces! Rossi and Wei’s creation of the rice paper boot is original, beautiful and an authentic example of fashion as art. Too delicate to actually wear, they appear almost divine and are to be admired for their magnificence and rarity.

Rossi has chosen to proudly showcase all eight boots at his boutique store in Paris. If you have the chance, you should definitely give them a visit!