Super Elevated Gillie Shoes
(1993 - now)
While Ottoman bath clogs suggest that using shoes to gain height is nothing new, one pair of high heels is more infamous than any other: British designer Vivienne Westwood’s leather-and-silk blue «mock-croc» Super Elevated Gillie platforms, with their 21cm-high heels. In 1993, the supermodel Naomi Campbell was wearing them on the catwalk during Westwood’s show in Paris Fashion Week, when they proved to be so lofty that they caused her to fall. Without warning, one of the shoes suddenly keeled over, sending Campbell tumbling to the floor of the catwalk. It was an iconic moment in fashion history – and a reminder of the extreme lengths to which some women will go in pursuit of appearing fashionable.