"And remember, never let those ruby slippers off your feet for a moment, or you will be at the mercy of the Wicked Witch of the West." - Glinda, the Good Witch of the North

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, Warner Brothers and Swarovski have teamed together and asked twenty designers to create their version of Dorothy’s ruby red slippers.  These one-of-a-kind creations will be auctioned off to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS foundation in Fall ‘09.  I mean, we’re talking ruby slippers from Jimmy Choo, Betsey Johnson, Manolo Blahnik, Diane von Furstenberg and Oscar de la Rena, to name a few.  Can you imagine???  What a brilliant idea!!!  Each designer will make two pairs of their creation and the slippers will "make appearances" at Saks Fifth Avenue and Bryant Park for NY’s Fashion Week in September and at Art Basel in Miami in December, and other places around the country in ‘09 before they are auctioned off.  Designers are being imaginative with their interpretations of the slippers from using red snakeskin to tulle to red crocodile.  Here are sketches from Betsey Johnson and Jimmy Choo:

I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with!!  It makes me want to get out a sketchpad and doodle my own version of the ruby red slipper, just for fun.  Mine would for sure involve sequins like the original version!  And I love that Melissa was just talking about Dorothy’s slippers last week when she discovered Converse’s version. 

In fact, I wonder if women’s fascination with shoes begins deeply rooted in our childhood consciousness when we first see Dorothy’s ruby red slippers?  There is certainly a strong psychological power that those shoes possess:  First of all, they were so pretty.  What six-year-old girl hasn’t wanted a sparkly pair of her own?  And they protected Dorothy from the Wicked Witch.  And they were so powerful:  Glinda said, "Then close your eyes and tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself, ‘There’s no place like home’."  They had the ability to literally transport you to your most favoritest place in the world.  Perhaps our constant need for new shoes has something to do with our desire to seek out the power and magic of the ruby slippers.

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