The Low Spark of High Heeled Chairs

May 17, 2024 11:56 AM

"Designing a chair is a very constrained exercise: the general dimensions and angles are very much fixed," Yovanovitch said. "Designing a shoe is even more constrained and technical." from Christian Louboutin and Pierre Yovanovitch perch chairs on legs informed by "iconic women"
posted by chavenet (17 comments total)

It's a major prize!
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 12:05 PM on May 17 [5 favorites]

A+++ for the post title, chavenet!!
posted by Kitteh at 12:06 PM on May 17 [11 favorites]

Needs more calf definition.
posted by Czjewel at 12:22 PM on May 17 [3 favorites]

Needs more calf definition.

Really getting uncanny-valley pro-ana vibes off these!

Historical cabriole leg profiles had thighs, too.
posted by away for regrooving at 12:37 PM on May 17 [2 favorites]

- feels a little objectifying
- why stop at wooden chairs, there's a whole kink community around people being chairs
- poor tarantino, he wasn't even consulted
posted by i used to be someone else at 1:03 PM on May 17 [7 favorites]

I'm really going to have to agree with Czjewel -- the point of high heeled shoes isn't the shape it makes the feet take, it's the shape it makes the calf and ass look. Focussing so strictly on the feet while missing the calves entirely feels like they didn't think things all the way through?

Maybe they made some with calves and they looked bad. I have no idea.

It's a clever project though!
posted by hippybear at 1:34 PM on May 17 [2 favorites]

I think I'm glad these chairs don't have 'arms'.

I'm also reminded of the prudish calling of table legs as 'limbs'. I don't think the Victorians would approve.
posted by MtDewd at 2:19 PM on May 17 [2 favorites]

Needs more calf definition.

Absolutely. Especially if they take my recommendation and do another series based on certain iconic men.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 2:31 PM on May 17 [1 favorite]

Cherche la femme en effet...
posted by y2karl at 3:09 PM on May 17 [2 favorites]

Contrast with the high-heel chair.
posted by betaray at 3:19 PM on May 17 [1 favorite]

One thing that baffles me is that some of these women would never have worn high heels, especially not heels this extreme. In at least one example I'm not sure the mythical woman in question even has feet at all.

I'm not sure where I was going with this, except I feel that women need less pressure to wear excruciatingly painful footwear, I guess?
posted by HypotheticalWoman at 4:13 PM on May 17 [11 favorites]

This seems a little classier than those bar stools with human legs, but not all that much.
posted by aubilenon at 7:54 PM on May 17 [4 favorites]

This really creeps me out. I'm tired of art that's men celebrating disembodied parts of women.
posted by c'mon sea legs at 12:18 AM on May 18 [17 favorites]

Korova Milkbar
posted by pracowity at 12:59 AM on May 18 [1 favorite]

I agree. These are kind of cool, but if they wanted to celebrate women, celebrate their accomplishments for once. They never do this with men's body parts.
posted by blnkfrnk at 9:50 AM on May 18 [7 favorites]

Yeah why can't I get a table with washboard abs?
posted by aubilenon at 10:43 AM on May 18 [1 favorite]

Suggesting lighting.
posted by kirkaracha at 2:54 PM on May 18 [2 favorites]