Noritaka Tatehana - Defying Gravity

My previous post revolved around handbags and now we're discussing high heel shoes? What's next, an in depth review of my favourite coffee shops? If you think I have transcended into mainstream madness please allow me some time to explain myself.

Noritaka Tatehana's creations are anything aside from ordinary. Heels have long been fetishized by men and regarded as the quintessential object of feminine beauty. In an attempt to defy this notion, Tatehana removed the heel entirely and the result protests previously accepted footwear ideals and challenges the western world's beauty standards.

Tatehana was born in Tokyo, Japan in the year 1985 and grew up on the seaside resort of Kamakura. He attended the Tokyo University of Fine Arts where he narrowed his focus on perfecting Japanese crafts such as traditional weaving and kimono dyeing.

The infamous "heel-less" shoes were the product of Tatehana's graduation thesis. He is a huge admirer of Japan's aesthetic history and ultimately found inspiration for his designs in the geta, traditional platform shoes popularized in the 17th century.

The geta sandal is comprised of one board of solid wood on top accompanied by a v-shaped strip of cloth and two wooden pegs or "teeth" providing support from underneath. They were most often worn with tabi socks and the elevation assisted by preventing the wearers feet from coming into contact with dirt or water. The Japanese associated height with superiority and as such, a heightened platform often indicated that the wearer was of a higher social ranking. These nimaiba geta finished with black lacquer and a velvet strap were most often worn by Japanese oiran or high class courtesans.

Much like geta, Tatehana's designs appear rather precarious at first glance. He researched traditional Japanese techniques and spent a significant amount of time perfecting proportions until he discovered a design which not only stayed upright but provided the wearer with sufficient stability. The shoe works by shifting the body's weight onto the toes as opposed to the heal with the radical innovation soon attracting a lot of attention from avant-garde enthusiasts. Lady Gaga was the first celebrity to wear Tatehana's creations not only in a few of her most well known music videos and fashion editorials but out in public with the sculptural footwear eventually forming part of the elaborate pop star's identity. Daphne Guinness is another long time admirer wearing Tatehana's shoes almost exclusively.

Having established his name early on in his career provided Tatehana with the confidence to further experiment through the manipulation of shapes and utilization of various materials and embellishments. Numerous heel-less iterations have since been produced including those adorned with metal studs and swarovski crystals.

In 2015 an event capable of tipping the cosmic scales occurred when Noritaka Tatehana was asked to collaborate with Iris Van Herpen on her Fall/Winter "Hacking Infinity" collection.

The match made in heaven pushed Tatehana out of his comfort zone with the exchange of hand tools for 3D printers. The result is an otherworldly shoe consisting of laser cut leather straps laying atop a sculpted crystal platform. Despite it's dreamlike appearance, walking in these shoes appeared to be a nightmare for many models hesitantly making their way down the never ending runway.

Tatehana found inspiration in his collaboration with Iris Van Herpen which led him to explore creating through more technologically driven processes. He employed a group of Japanese experts to assist him with executing an idea which would soon give birth to the crystalline shoe. Worthy of a place in any fine arts gallery.

Since their introduction to the public, Tatehana's work has been featured in many exhibitions and museums around the world. This may lead one to believe that the shoes were less functional and more works of art although Tatehana opposes this idea wholeheartedly. He suggests that the process behind creating the shoes could be considered an art form but the shoes themselves are not art. This would imply that they are meant to be placed on a pedestal and admired when in actual fact their sole purpose is to be worn and enjoyed.

An exhibition might very well be your only opportunity to view these shoes with the cost of purchasing a pair ranging anywhere between $2500 and $4000. Money is not all that needs to be taken into consideration as shoes are made to order and Tatehana insists clients visit him at his workshop in Tokyo prior to construction. This is done to involve clients in the creative process thus allowing them the opportunity to embrace Japanese culture and have it be an all around enriching experience.

Noritaka Tatehana takes a lot of pride in his roots and more than anything wishes to share the beauty of Japan with the rest of the world. He has since ventured beyond the footwear realm and currently features a few artistic pieces alongside numerous other creations in his collaborative fashion exhibitions.

There is no doubt that this exceptionally talented craftsman and forward thinking individual appeared to us long before his time and we can only hope his work inspires many future designers who aim to continually revolutionize the way we interact with clothing.