Looking more like sculpture than footwear, Guo Pei shoes are nonetheless incredibly popular among avant garde fashion stylists who hate their clients. That said, I’m helpless against their awesomeness.

Pei is best known as a Chinese avant garde fashion designer whose lush, opulent designs look like a Rococo fever dream. The artist, for how could I call her anything else, designs a new pair of insane shoes to match each of her gowns. She’s an absolute mega star of the China fashion world, but it took a little time for her fame to spread outside her native country. Though she was approached by Gaga’s people for stagewear in 2008 (see quote below), it wasn’t until 2015 when she hit U.S. stardom with Rihanna’s epic Met Gala gown.

“Not long after a November China show, Nicola Formichetti, an editor who helps style Lady Gaga, contacted Pei to borrow some clothes. There is nothing dainty about a 40-pound crystal beaded dress, as Lady Gaga discovered when four or five dresses (and the platform shoes) arrived in Los Angeles, ‘‘all beautifully packaged in silver boxes,’’ Formichetti recalled. She tried them on, he said, ‘‘but basically couldn’t move in them, so they couldn’t work onstage.’’

‘‘They were very nice, polite people,’’ Pei’s husband Jack said of his dealings with Formichetti’s office, but one senses that Pei isn’t dying to dress the world’s most famous performer.” –AdWeek

I hope you are as fascinated and impressed with these crazy beautiful torture devices as I am. Proceed with caution. It’s a long way down…

All images property of people who are not me.

(Via)