it is so often the case that when i am cleaning out a closet i find things that i totally forgot i had. i was so excited to come across this box. i just love the illustration (pretty sure it's not warhol but he did do work for capezio) but wondered to myself why i am keeping it? it's really cool and everything but i have been making an effort to de-clutter my life. it came "this close" to going into the "get rid of pile" until the box lid fell off to reveal the even cooler illustrations inside. of course there was a reason i was hanging on to it! i am just nuts over those happy-go-lucky red dotted little guys.
trained as a cobbler, salvatore capezio opened up a shop across the street from the metropolition opera house in new york city in 1887. one thing lead to another and he began making dance shoes - his pointe shoes were particularly popular. the business stayed with the family and 1941 claire mc cardell showed the capezio long-soled ballet shoe in her collection. this prompted neiman marcus and lord & taylor to place orders which lead to capezios becoming not just a dance shoe but also a fashion shoe ("take a fashion stance"). this reminds me of the whole hush puppy thing a few years ago after john bartlett used them in his runway show.
Delightful illustrations! And nice runway-to-trend history, too. I love Capezios, as I'm sure lots of former dancers do.
Incidentally, the man who now makes custom shoes for the Met Opera, Yefim Slusker, is based in Brooklyn Heights. A friend referred me to his shop to get some heels repaired. It's a totally unassuming shop, and while I was waiting I noticed all these faded magazine articles about him and his work. I can't believe that he's a shoe maestro, but isn't above taking care of us prols, too!
His boxes aren't so elegantly illustrated, though...
Posted by: Amy Shaw | June 30, 2008 at 10:12 AM
I remember every year from 1970 to 1975 getting a new pair of tap and ballet shoes from Capezios and a nice leotard!!!! Flashback! This was in Southern CA and the same lady helped us each year! Thanks for the memories with the black box lid!
Posted by: Jen | July 02, 2008 at 05:05 AM