Gallery FIT
March 9 – April 3, 2010
Online Exhibition
Scandal Sandals & Lady Slippers: A History of Delman Shoes featured a vibrant and detailed selection of the glamorous, innovative, and classic
styles that made Delman Shoes—celebrating its 90th anniversary—a leader in women's footwear. As the first exhibition devoted to the history of the
brand, Scandal Sandals explored and revealed the company's renowned style, advertising and craftsmanship.
The objects on display, dating roughly between 1926 and 2007, chronicled the company's
rich and creative past. Drawing from the permanent collections of both the Museum
at The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and the Delman Archives, dazzling shoes
were presented alongside period examples of print advertisements, newsreel footage,
and illustrated patents. Special focus was given to Delman's most successful period,
the 1930s-1950s, during which its high-end, ready-to-wear shoes helped bring international
acclaim to American fashion.
Delman, cocktail shoe, multi-color floral print with gold brocade, circa 1958, USA.
Lent by Nina Footwear Corp.
Delman, day shoe, black silk faille, circa 1937, USA. Lent by Nina Footwear Corp.
Delman's scandal sandal—which laced provocatively up the calf was originally designed
for dancer Irene Castle. Many other movie stars and distinguished women of society,
such as Mamie Eisenhower, Jacqueline Kennedy, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, and Marlene
Dietrich, also wore Delman shoes. Herman Delman, the company's founder, used this
celebrity cachet to add an aura of desirability to his shoes.
Delman shoes were designed to flatter, and to help a woman move gracefully in day
suits, cocktail dresses, and evening gowns. Delman offered a wide variety of styles,
all of which conveyed the ideal of a lady: elegant, refined, and sophisticated. Still
synonymous with luxury and quality, Delman continues to design sumptuous shoes for
the discerning woman, often combining current trends with past designs. Scandal Sandals juxtaposed complementary pairs of shoes to emphasize this relationship between historic
and contemporary styles.
Delman, peep-toe cocktail shoe, red satin, 1954, USA, gift of Mrs. Janet Chatfield-Taylor
Braguin, 81.61.22
Delman, ankle strap sandal with peep-toe, red/blue/yellow/green suede, circa 1939,
USA, P89.40.34
Scandal Sandals and Lady Slippers was organized by FIT graduate students in the Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice program. The exhibition celebrated the 90th anniversary of Delman and marked the 25th anniversary
of FIT's Fashion and Textile Studies graduate program.