In 2018, The Museo della Calzatura di Villa Foscarini Rossi, in collaboration with T Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS, presented the exhibition “I’m not Cinderella, I just love shoes”. The exhibition was set up in Venice, in the stunning Fondaco dei Tedeschi, in a palace overlooking the Canal Grande.

Shoes are “unique ways of expression that connect body and mind, the inside and the outside, the individual and the group”. Based on this idea, the exhibition, developed together with fashion historian and psychologists, was a journey in the most recent history of women’s footwear design. It aimed at presenting to the public a selection of iconic models matching the profiles of four women, focussing on their different attitudes and characteristics. The special arrangement of this exhibition was based on the concept of a white box containing the shoes, in order to highlight their shape, look, colours and craftmanship.

The exhibition was articulated in four sections, each looking at one aspect of femininity as expressed through shoes. The first section was entitled ‘Bold Ambition’ and displayed a selection of strong and empowering shoes. Amongst the designer featured, Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy and Donna Karan, who designed the stiletto Sharon Stone wore in the 2006 movie ‘Basic Instinct 2.’⁠

The section ‘Successful Physical Appearance’ hosted a selection of joyful shoes by the likes of Fendi and Emilio Pucci. One highlight was surely the ‘geta’ sandal from the S/S 2011 Kenzo collection, designed by Antonio Marras for the 40th anniversary of the brand.

The third section was titled ‘Balanced Elegance.’ It exhibited both contemporary and more historical pieces from Yves Saint Laurent, Celine, Loewe and Christian Dior.

‘Audacious Creativity’ was the last section, focussed on extreme creations by inventive designers as Nicholas Kirkwood. In 2015, on the occasion of the first 10 years of his brand, Kirkwood created the playful collection: “Kirkwood 10’, inspired by his childhood memories – such as electronic games, toys and films from the 80s. Some of the pieces of this collection were featured in the exhibition, as the ‘Millennium Butterfly’, a shoe that recalls the iconic ‘Millennium Falcon’, the spaceship from the Star Wars saga.