By Justin Fenner, Styleite
What’s a brand to do when some of its most iconic pieces are set to be auctioned off? Get in the game and buy them back, of course. That’s what French shoemaker Roger Vivier had to do this week to recover some of its greatest work — and in the process, it turned one pair into the most expensive shoes in the world, according to Women's Wear Daily.
Representatives from Roger Vivier teamed up with the French government and the French Footwear Association at an auction of the late designer Roger Vivier’s private collection this week. They bought nearly 80 percent of the lots on sale, including shoes made for Elizabeth Taylor and John Lennon.
But the world’s most expensive shoes didn’t belong to rock stars — they were made for royalty. The pair you see above was made for Princess Soraya of Iran (who, by the way, was a regulation bombshell) in 1962. The kitten heels are covered in silver thread, and the little orange sparklers all over them are topaz. The final bid was €19,750, or $26,629.06 at current exchange.
Much of the collection had been on display at the Musée Romans before the auction, and representatives of the company say many of the shoes it bought at auction will head straight back there. But maybe they’ll hold onto the Princess Soraya shoe long enough to make a few lower-priced reproductions? Just a thought. [via WWD]
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