Remaining the appropriate option for evening dress until the 1930s when laced Oxfords became de rigueur, the style has been championed by a myriad of style icons. From regal heroes like the late Prince Philip, to silver screen legends ie Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra, to fashion world greats; Manolo Blahnik has cultivated a cult-following for his crystal buckle satin pumps for decades all while, himself, wearing a plethora of coloured leather court shoes. The list is endless when it comes to poster-boys of the trend.
Now, the style returns, providing a more esteemed take on flats for both men and women in 2023. New York designer, Suzanne Rae, whose all-inclusive line of luxury footwear offers a stunning set says, ‘With the Opera Pump, our approach wasn’t just pushing a fem aesthetic. It was going from fem to masculine, and thereby blurring and redefining those concepts, and ultimately growing our gender fluid dialogue and repertoire.’ In fact, it was for Lord Hintze’s son, Edward, that Rae originally thought to create these pumps in her signature style for his wedding. ‘Many versions have a tapered toe and petite bow and haven’t strayed from the original shape when they were designed in the 18th century. But I wanted a rounder, wider toe and with our not-so-petite and structured grosgrain signature bow. I thought alternating in this way would make it more flattering, more modern, and more versatile,’ she shares.
