Special Collections Blog: Special Collections Blog

DMU Shoe-perpower: 90 Years Anniversary Update

Back in January, in collaboration with Nanette Westberg-Brown (Programme Leader for Footwear Design), we launched an Archives Appeal as part of the events celebrating 90 years of Footwear Design at De Montfort University. We are extremely grateful to all those who have been in touch to loan and donate items, and these will be showcased as part of the Art and Design Degree Show exhibition to be held in DMU Gallery in the Vijay Patel building, 19^th-25^th June, 2024. Everyone is welcome so do come along!

Alongside this, we have also been hard at work piecing together the history of the programme from its roots in late nineteenth century boot and shoe manufacture to its evolution into one of the UK's most prestigious and specialised degree programmes today. It soon became evident that the remarkable stories discovered needed to be acknowledged, celebrated and shared. In this feature, we highlight a small part of our recently launched accompanying online exhibition.

Fit for Royalty

As we started to learn more about the staff and alumni that had been working and studying in Footwear Design, we discovered a running theme: that over the years our designers had worked with some very visible and “special clients”. Below are three incredible stories of DMU staff and students and their experiences of designing for the UK's royal family.

RON BEEBY: DESIGNING FOR HM QUEEN ELIZABETH II

Prior to his appointment at Leicester College of Technology as a lecturer in Footwear Design in 1957, Beeby had worked for British manufacturer Rayne Shoes, known for its high-end and couture footwear. Granted a Royal Warrant in 1935, Rayne Shoes designed and made shoes for HM Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) to wear on her wedding day to HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947.  During his time at Rayne Shoes, Beeby assisted with the design of the shoes and the criss-cross twist on the upper of the heeled sandals was one of his signature designs. The sandals were trimmed with silver and seed pearl to complement the 10,000 pearls that were embellished onto her dress (Spranklen, 2021). Beeby became Head of School of Footwear Design in 1969 and retired in 1981. In honour of his contribution to DMU Footwear Design, the Beeby Award was introduced in 2007 and is awarded to the student who has undergone the most significant progression or journey to success that year.

DMU Press Cuttings, 1979. Beeby on the right.                                               HM Queen Elizabeth II's wedding shoes. From Brides, 2022.

The Beeby Award Trophy.

CLIVE SHILTON: DESIGNER FOR HRH DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES

Celebrity shoe-maker Clive Shilton began his career studying Footwear Design at DMU and working at one of Leicester's long-standing shoe manufacturers D. Henderson and Sons, founded in 1880. Having also designed footwear for Rayne Shoes, Shilton was approached to design and make the wedding shoes for HRH Diana, Princess of Wales (then Lady Spencer) who married HRH Prince Charles in 1981.

Following several consultations with his “special client” in which Shilton took foot measurements and noted personal requests, he set to work on the shoes which would take 6-months to make. (Spranklen, 2021). Diana had specifically requested a low heel so she did not appear taller than her husband-to-be on their wedding day, and the soles of the shoes would feature a secret romantic gesture. The final design was a pair of low-heeled satin and lace slippers decorated with 500 sequins and 100 seed pearls. With suede sole arches to prevent slipping, the initials C and D (for Charles and Diana) were painted under each heel with a heart in the centre (Redin, 2023).

  Image from Brides, 2022.                    Image from Daily Express, 2023.                              Image from Tatler, 2021.

BECKA HUNT: DESIGNER FOR HRH CATHERINE, PRINCESS OF WALES

In 2012, HM Queen Elizabeth II began her Diamond Jubilee Tour with a visit to Leicester and DMU. In preparation, a very special competition was launched for footwear students to design and create shoes for HRH Princess Catherine (then Duchess of Cambridge). Six finalists were selected and the princess chose her favourite during the visit. The winning designer, Becka Hunt could proudly claim her first royal commission.

From Royal Visit, one of two commemorative magazines produced by DMU, 2012.

Below is an image of Hunt’s illustration along with images of the other finalists and their designs which are recorded in our collection of DMU Press Cuttings. The images below have been archived from the Mail Online, 2012.    

With more royal connections and fascinating stories you can access the exhibition on our webpage: ‘DMU Shoe-perpower: 90 Years of Footwear Design at De Montfort University’ https://library.dmu.ac.uk/specialcollections/exhibitions You never know, you may even find yourself or your peers!

STEPPING UP: GETTING INVOLVED

There is still time to get involved. In terms of the Appeal, we would like to invite loans and/or donations of any materials relating to the history of Footwear Design at DMU. Do you have some old prototypes kicking about? Or any sketchbooks or photographs you think should get a toe-in?

What we are interested in

Any and all material relating to the history of footwear design at DMU, including records and objects such as:

• prototypes
• drawings/designs
• sketchbooks
• leaflets/brochures
• press cuttings
• photographs

How we will use loaned/donated material

Items donated form named collections which are then listed, packaged and shared in classes, exhibitions and with other alumni and readers. Collections are not only preserved to tell the story of DMU and its students in perpetuity, but they are also an essential resource for scholars and students, inspiring new avenues of research and the next generation of designers. Is the next step of your DMU journey to be a part of its archival legacy?

Items loaned will be carefully handled, stored, labelled and displayed in a physical exhibition to be held on DMU campus in June 2024. Items will then be returned to you once the exhibition is closed.

How you can loan or donate

You can donate materials (either physical originals or digital copies) directly to Special Collections any time using the email below. Please do get in touch if you have any questions. We can digitise any material you don’t want to part with.

If you would like to donate/loan material to be included in the anniversary physical exhibition, please do get in touch as soon as possible. Materials received after 17^th May 2024 will not be included. For more information, please contact:

• DMU Special Collections archives@dmu.ac.uk and/or
• Footwear Design Programme Leader, Nanette Westberg-Brown nanette.westberg-brown@dmu.ac.uk

We sincerely welcome you to visit the archive and appeal for your help in preserving the history of Footwear Design at DMU.

USEFUL LINKS

Our catalogue: https://specialcollections.catalogue.dmu.ac.uk/

Our online exhibitions page: https://library.dmu.ac.uk/specialcollections/exhibitions