presents
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SHOE ART
Ar#st / Designer Noel Hagman evokes a pragma#c rela#onship between art and fashion by fusing the two in an origina#ve vision of func#onal designs and wearable Shoe Art. By re-‐envisioning exis#ng shoes Noel creates authen#c designs that embody, express, and embellish both the concept of the shoe and the individuality of the person who wears or buys them.
Shoe A!
" ‘Wearable and Functional ’ Noel Hagman works with vintage and ultra high-‐end shoes, crea#ng Haute Couture pieces and original designs produced specifically for individual clients, as well as offering more ready-‐to-‐wear collec#ons and limited-‐ edi#on lines. In addi#on to being wearable, some collec#ons and commissioned Shoe Art pieces are presented as installa#ons meant to be exhibited at galleries, bou#ques, special venues, events, or private homes. With all of her Shoe Art, there’s a documented process referred to as the “Sole-‐ful Realiza#on” – a philosophy behind the concept and inspira#on, that creates a ‘soul’ unique to each shoe.
‘Sole-ful Realization’
A Philosophy To Creating The Soul For Each Shoe . . .
Concept:
The who, what, and where, from which the idea was ini#ally derived.
Inspira#on:
Evolu#on of the ini#al idea — personal relevancy, notable experiences, re-‐crea#ng a moment, capturing a visual, expressing a thought, telling a story or the explora#on of other significances that lay behind the concept.
Process and Materials:
Per#nence of chosen materials and explana#on of the ideas, imagery, sen#mental importance's, and ar#s#c objec#ves that specific materials and mediums are intended to represent on each shoe.
The Sole Sto#es ‘
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Conceptually Based On…
a Woman
Impulse
an aesthe)c
an Inspiration a flee)ng yet
Meaningful Thought
a personal a social a
Experience
Commentary
FASHION statement
Noel H a man
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SHOE ART followed by
individual ‘Sole’ Stories
S OUL C HAOS An artists exasperations.
A MAZONIA Well-heeled, walking tall, confident and proud.
D EADLY T EMPTRESS Fiercely, flirtatiously, fashionable, yet prepared to do some ‘sole’ damage!
U RBAN P RINCESS Walking the streets of NYC in sky-high fashion while being fearlessly stylish.
N AUGHTY - BUT -N ICE An ode to nouveau riche Hollywood and sweet little wrong-doings.
M INA F LAMENCO A warm summer night, a cool salsa beat, and a flirtatious romance!
Black Gold Spring 2009
Oil - Causing corruption, wars and pollution around the world, devastating the planet, and scariest of all . . . running out. Materials: Nails (6mm and 12mm), Gold Leaf
Black Gold
Oil, (‘Black Gold’, in slang), is a nefarious commodity that also happens to be one of the single most important assets in making the world run and is valued as vital in the history of civilization, industrialization, and the current capabilities of modern man-‐kind. However, in its finite capacity, I believe oil not only represents the unsustainable state of society and a precarious future in dire need of alternative energies. Through my eyes, it is also directly and indirectly responsible for the suffering of millions, the vast disparity in socio-‐economic conditions of developing nations, and the political corruption so pervasive in third-‐world, resource-‐rich countries. A year before I made these shoes I was at The New School of NYC studying International Affairs with a focus on the Middle East. I’ve had a longtime infatuation with that part of the world and in expanding my (unintentionally related) interest in – the history behind and future for, the world’s dwindling resources. In addition, growing up with J.R. Ewing as my grandfather also provided a somewhat ironic perspective which gave me a unique insight into the dichotomies of the oil world.
My passion for all things in the Middle and Far East has always been very present in my studies, travels, personal and career-‐oriented life. It’s through the books I read, the (real) news, art, media and aspects of history, that my inquisitions into the historical prejudices of mankind and an aspiring potential for global betterment are sated and ignited. Even my grandfather, actor Larry Hagman / Iconic Oilman on the TV series “Dallas”, whose realistic environmental activism and efforts as a spokesman for solar-‐power have exposed me to productive actions and helped in highlighting the small ways that pave the road toward a better future. However, all of these various inlets expanded my knowledge until I finally realized that there was one re-‐occurring theme that I just couldn't ignore; the shocking role that oil plays in our country. I am struck repeatedly by how deeply we are embedded in its web of destruction and dependence, and the threat it potentially represents to the world in the all-‐too-‐near future.
I used the Monolo Blahnik ‘Mary Janes’ for their sleek and slightly scary design, which lent itself well to the overall feeling behind the concept of the shoe. I experimented with ways that I could incorporate blood to symbolize the very real physical sacrifice of so many, and eventually realized that the red inside of the shoe already added that in a subtler, metaphoric way. The nails represented two things; the pain that, like oil, they can inflict, and (once covered in paint and gold leaf) I felt they captured the aesthetic feeling of oil rigs, gritty machinery, crusts of deep dark earth, and the precious 'Black Gold' reservoir that is so ferociously pursued. Noel Ha man
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Weighed Down By Guilt Fall 2009
A lover’s dilemma — giving in to temptation. Flooded with emotions and consumed by desires. Moving on or making it work. Materials: Rocks, Gesso, Acrylic Paint, Chalkboard Paint, Gel Pen.
Weighed Down by Guilt
Complications in love. This shoe was made to represent the inevitable yet varied degrees of messiness and ‘moments,’ the clarity in discovering what you really want, and the courage to tailor your romantic life to those needs.
There was a year in my life when break-‐ups, lover’s quarrels, wandering eyes and even shocking affairs, became a sort of “theme” that was nearly impossible for me to ignore. It seemed that I was being bombarded from every which angle by the existence, or at least personal awareness of – divorces, non-‐committal boyfriends, long-‐term infidelity, the fizzling out of new love, and even cases where friends turned to. . . hmmm, ‘experimenting in the bedroom’ as the answer to their love-‐life woes! OK. So some of the stimuli in this unwanted campaign for how ‘love sometimes hurts’ were those blaring from the covers of the gossip magazines reporting celebrity splits and, evidently, a shocking amount of ‘sex addictions’ pervading Hollywood and destructing otherwise “rock solid” relationships!
However, aside from the effects of relationship woes melodramatized by the media, there were a surprising number of people in my life – quite intimately and peripherally, who were coping with and/or confiding in me about an array of problems in their love-‐life, which curiously left me wondering less about my own relationship, and more about the general struggle of two total strangers trying to balance their individual self (primal desires included) with the prospect of sharing a life together! Anyway, the Ah–ha! moment by the time I finished with the process of making this shoe, was that life is unpredictable and the effects can be most devastating when it comes to love. So. . . know what you want, know that it’s possible, and take the reigns to your own romantic endeavors by daring to live it outside preconceived social demands or expectations and instead within your own reality!
Because lust and choices were, at least to me, such significant parts of the issues I was hearing and consequently contemplating, I wanted to convey the emotional weight and mental disarray in a state under such circumstances. The rocks represent the weight of the guilt and the toll it takes in the process. I splattered the paint by blowing on it through a straw and letting it naturally take its own course (as things usually do anyway), and chose the color red to visually symbolize love, passion, blood, the human heart, and the pain that can come with it. The writing on the heels are two different pleas from the outcome of a lovers decision and their actions. Noel Ha man
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Lavish Forethought Spring 2009
Gold and Diamonds are not only a girl’s best friend but recession proof commodities, and therefore guilt free investments! Materials: Gold Leaf, Swarovski Crystals
Lavish Forethought
I made this shoe in 2008 after our economy had collapsed and the Stock Market was in egregiously precarious territory. When the you-‐know-‐what hits the fan, one tends to revert back to the basics where monetary matters are concerned. It got me thinking, what are historically impervious ways to invest money? Most will say, Gold and D iamonds.
Not only did our Nation seem to be heading toward a second Great Depression, but we were (are) embattled in two controversial wars, weighing the threat of nuclear potential in Iran, adjusting to a newly elected President, suffering from a slew of significant Ponzi schemes, staving off global disasters and pondering an allegedly imminent Armageddon. The economic downfall really marked a tipping point for many. It made a lot of scared people act in strange and unpredictable ways. There were noticeably erratic effects on Wall Street and dire predictions for its f uture.
Anyway, I decided to look on the bright, and arguably safe side, and concluded that – when in doubt, go with what you can count on, right? Gold and Diamonds! Unless, of course we’re doomed for an environmental meltdown and planetary collapse, in which case all things traditionally of value cease to exist and the only commodities anyone w ill be interested in acquiring w ill be Spam (in the can, not j unk e -‐mail) and shoes. Although I would have preferred gold and diamonds, in this case I chose to use Swarovski Crystals, painstakingly applied, and gold leaf.
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Red Carpet Spring 2009
An homage to an inspiring and talented friend whose work is admirable and life-style is enviable. Materials: Ribbon Bowtie, Buttons, Swarovski Jewels, Movie Script
Red Carpet
A friend of mine is shoe crazy like me, intuitive and extremely c reative. She's also a talented Writer/Director and Actor, whose work and mission in life I adore, so with her in mind I decided to make this shoe. I knew that she had a few upcoming movie premiers to attend around the time this idea was conceptualized so in addition to being a sentimental homage to my f riend, I decided to have the actual 'red carpet' be the aesthetic focus for the shoes.
While honing her craft in school and actively pursuing an acting career in New York City, she 'found’ herself and realized her calling – to stay in New York City, follow her passion a nd m ake something of herself. This realization didn't come easy and included rebelling against her family (again), a fake conversion to Islam, and three spontaneous weddings (to the same guy!), all of which enabled her ability to stay in the U.S. longer and allowing her the legal freedom to get in and out of Saudi Arabia on her own! My friend’s journey was already full and yet just beginning, as she admirably continues to work toward bettering herself in life, love, work, and spirituality.
In addition to her courage, physically she also has the enviable quality of being strikingly beautiful, yet refreshingly s imple. I wanted to emulate those qualities a la red carpet style using just t he quintessential staples: jewels and a tuxedo. I also had one of her sensational scripts (from a soon-‐to-‐be released film) on hand so I used it to cover the insole as a m ore intimate way to m ake my f riend a part of the shoe.
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Venice Vagabond Summer 2009
A life lived among the new yet on the treasures of the old, in the propinquity of this purlieu, one’s creativity is surely tantamount to more than just making do‌ Materials: Mosaic Grout, Broken Mirror and Colored Glass, Shells, Sand
Venice Vagabond
When I made this shoe I was spending a lot of time in my old neighborhood in Venice Beach, CA and getting nostalgic for all the wonderful characteristics that the truly eccentric beach town has managed to maintain. Venice is an u ndeniably anomalous community, one of the most notable reasons, is because it is home to some seriously talented, eclectic individuals who, let’s say, adhere to a more unstructured and bohemian philosophy of life – some by choice, others by personal wrongdoings, and those simply riding out unfortunate circumstances. Regardless, there is a noticeable presence of people with a more ‘transient nature’ in the beach towns of CA and it’s a c ultural idiosyncrasy that I really loved about living on that coast! I witnessed million dollar houses going up, yet little old beach shacks remained. Corporate coffee chains riddled the streets, but mom and pop, locally-‐owned organic coffee shops competed and thrived. Naturally there are new ' local' faces but comfortingly the same old ones remain there too. The 'Venice Vagabonds' are a uniquely integrated part of the community, seen on a daily basis, known by most everyone but whom a few, like me, got to know on a fairly personal level. They all had stories, quite a few had very apparent but non-‐threatening psychiatric....er, issues. While others had an enormously full and riveting life. Many experienced a heart-‐wrenching share of pain and sorrow. They had family, lost them, were estranged from, and/or needed one. As these relationships developed, I noticed that m any of these friends harbored some serious creative talents and artistic abilities. They were resourceful in their creations. Simple, yet profound and created beautiful things they would craft with pre-‐loved and mundane objects. The beauty of the beach and of this community were used both literally and as inspiration for the art of its wandering people; those who probably know it best. I wanted to make a shoe with things that remind me of Venice, but that are also easily found, used, recycled, and often turned into artistic masterpieces and fashionable statements by its itinerant inhabitants. I was staying by t he beach so I collected s and, s hells, m irror and colored g lass. Because varied a nd colorful are the words t hat come to mind when I reflect on the theme of this story, I decided that using my found materials in a mosaic on the shoe (using a sea-‐blue colored grout) would best convey the essence of my inspiration. I applied an old Los Angeles Times on the inner sole using papier-‐mache paste because truthfully, I think newspapers are the most useful c reations for m illions of reasons, and they are a commonly found, m ulti-‐useful staple of LA lifestyle! Noel Ha man
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Lolita Spring 2009
Naughty Little School Girl — Detention and other after-school ‘activities’ with Professor So-and-So… Materials: Plaid Skirt, Lace Ribbon, Chalkboard Paint, Chalk, Safety Pins
Lolita
There are many personal truths to the story behind the concept of this shoe. It's no secret to those who know me that I've always liked older m en. And it didn't help that I physically m atured early and pretty m uch look the same now as I did when I was 15. Being in school, especially when I was younger, provided me with a captive (I k now, bad choice of words) sample of older men in the guise of teachers. I would have to say that for various reasons it’s probably s afe to s ay t hat my s chooling experience was considerably different to t hose of my peers.
Anyway, let's just say that my ‘curiosity’ in older men didn't exactly subside as I got older and as I started to hone my awareness of sexual chemistry out in the ' real' world w ith more...Hmmm, potentially, tangible m en. It also didn't help that as I got older, looking more ‘mature’ than my age, and attended a very liberal and socially progressive school, the teachers also seemed to be getting younger! Oh, so dangerous! Alas, lines were never really c rossed a lthough s ome were c ertainly tested on a few occasions. Irrefutable f un was had!
This shoe is meant to portray a sense of sex and the forbidden. I just loved the imagery of a 'private school uniform'. The little plaid skirt, lace undies and white knee-‐highs, in my mind all fit perfectly on the heel of a simple, red, Jimmy Choo pump. Initially I was making this shoe as part of a collection for a runway show put on by a designer/boutique owner who a lso hoped to use the shoe for a photo s hoot s howcasing designer Vivienne Westwood's clothes. With that in mind, I wanted to invoke aspects of Vivienne Westwood’s recognizable essence in the style and m aterials I c hose.
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Pieces of Vanity Winter 2009
Mirror, Mirror on the wall . . . Who’s the prettiest of them all? Materials: Glass, Paint, Printed Mirror Caption, Newspaper Text
Pieces of Vanity "Mirror, Mirror o n the w all . . . Who's the prettiest o f them all?"
Ah yes, Snow White. That was the f irst image that came to m ind w hen I realized ' Vanity' was the concept behind a shoe I wanted to make. But t hen something inside me immediately countered . . . “Just the prettiest?!” Vanity is so m uch m ore complicated than that!
I created this shoe because the concept of 'Vanity' is, horribly e nough, something I often think about. Maybe it's an inevitable consequence of my constant traveling and all of the "profound" people watching I do. However realized, there became a point where I was more aware of my relationship with vanity and its presence in my life on socio-‐personal grounds, but also as a stigma that's so socially prevalent yet, in a way, m isinterpreted and kind o f tragic. Are we broken by 'Vanity' o r m eant to b reak t hrough it?
Bottom-‐line, I believe we're all vain in one way or another. Some more than others, all with uniquely good and bad aspects. What's interesting is that vanity isn't a trait with homogeneous elements – the causal emotional baggage and its consequential manifestation in society is different for everyone. To me, 'Vanity' has become a facade for the more deep rooted personal struggles lingering in us all, which is something I think, is worth exploring individually as well as in those around us. I was intent on having a whole shoe of broken g lass to simulate the complexity inherent in vanity, and in us, the strange social creatures who fall victim to these sort of quasi artificial, socially superficial concepts. I chose to leave the mosaic of mirror un-‐grouted because it provided the cracked and semi-‐distorted reflected image of the viewer that I was hoping to convey. Incorporating the, albeit Disney installed, imagery of "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall . . ." in the aesthetic of this s hoe was important to me because I thought it was a good j uxtaposition to the actuality of vanity being such a c uriously complex concept. Noel Ha man
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HAND–PAINTED SHOES
PRESS
SHOTS
Vivienne Westwood Photo Shoot Los Angeles, CA - May 2009
CoCo Eco Magazine
Photo Shoot BriPany Flickinger – Winner of Paris Hilton’s ‘My New BFF’ Reality TV show
Events Jeanie Madsen Gallery (Santa Monica, CA)
Launch of Hand-‐Painted ‘Spring’ Collec#on 5/22/10 Holiday Trunk Show – Ar#sts & Designers 12/20/09 Designer in SewJeannie Fashion Show 10/24/09 Shoe Art Exhibit for Grand Opening 6/27/09
EM&Co. (Los Angeles, CA)
Installa#on – First Shoe Collec#on 3/09-‐4/09
Chic Liqle Devil Style House (West Los Angeles, CA)
‘Recycled’ Runway Show, Fashion Week 3/19/09
Noel H ag man Biography
Ar#st and designer, Noel Hagman, was born and raised in Santa Monica, California, traversing the privileged and surreal world of Hollywood elite (being the granddaughter of Larry Hagman and great-‐granddaughter of Mary Mar[n) and two working, upper-‐middle class households of parents, striving to provide a sturdy founda#on. Growing up surrounded by wildly (and just plain wild) crea#ve family and friends – an environment without a doubt lush in ar#s#c influences and ‘life’ experience, exposed Noel to an intensely colorful world which offered, early on, an array of ar#stry as well a unique perspec#ve into the striving struggles of ambi#on, indulgence, and passion. Integra#ng the past with the presently discovered, her own work intui#vely demonstrates the fusion of opposites – melding crea#vity and func#onality, fashion and art, commercialism and altruism, message and meaning, pain and pleasure, old and new, self and family…
The love affair between her ar#s#c passions and an affec#on for shoes began when she got the idea to hand-‐paint flowers on high heels – which, ater quickly gaining outside interest, mo#vated her to more fully commit to the endeavor. Noel created her first line of original Shoe Art in 2008, which has featured in celebrity fashion shoots, fashion editorials, trendy bou#ques and contemporary art galleries, and following that momentum, has con#nued to create ‘Shoe Art‘ and elaborate upon her ‘shoe-‐centric’ vision.
Ar#s#cally, Noel is driven by the concept of ‘Wearable and Func[onal Art,’ and is generally consumed by the idea of altering materially mundane pieces in effort to turn the prac#cal into a more in#mate expression of one’s personal life and style. Presently, Noel is working towards expanding her business and feeding her many crea#ve desires while living on both coasts. Projects currently under development are: New wearable Shoe Art series (for women and men); Shoe Art installa#ons; Special Event collabora#ons; Jewelry and Fashion Accessories; Re-‐purposed furniture, and canvas art.
John Castonia J. CAST PRODUCTIONS
(323) 822-‐1999 JCast@CastProduc@ons.com