The Museum Collection: Latest Wear

DRUM ROLL PLEASE

I am absolutely overjoyed to introduce the third release of "The Museum Collection Shoes" line. This time we altered our process from how we’ve made them in the past and the results speak for themselves!

I cannot stress enough how special this latest group is! I personally sourced all the trims and gems from unique vendors across the globe. I’m particularly happy with this process because I was able to purchase everything from smaller vendors, supporting small businesses.

The COLLECTION

For those unfamiliar with the series, The Museum Collection is a handcrafted set of bespoke Babouche footwear. The shoes are a capsule collection collaboration between the Amanda Johnson Studio located in Delray Beach, Florida and Coast & Koi from Cape Town, South Africa.

The shoes are made of custom printed luxurious silks, satins, and linens derived from my original paintings. To embellish the tops, I create sparkly sew-on gems and hand-select the various trims from my travels across the globe. I then send my trims and décor to Caryn at Coast & Koi where she utilizes them with her magnificent shoe designs.

They’ve been a pleasure to create and worth all the hard work that has gone into them. It’s a special arrangement created for those who enjoy wearing pieces that are handmade, one of a kind, and who express joy for living - “Joie de vivre!”

I’ve launched a new Facebook page for the collection that you can follow here:

https://www.facebook.com/The-Museum-Collection-Shoes-108731284887066

Otherwise, the best way to keep up with the collection is with the online store here:

https://www.amandajohnsonstudio.com/the-museum-collection-shoes

The Process 

I thought it could be a fun treat to walk you through the creative process with this line!

When setting out to create them, I had a mantra of sorts. I love style, comfort, and wearing something unique so this collection had to check all three boxes.

1. I begin with a color vision. Any object or thing that excites me with its vibrancy gives me a starting point for the materials to gather.

2. I create my fabric from my paintings.

3. I start collecting trims, gems, ribbons, and trims based on my color stories and visions. I try to work with smaller shops to ensure everything is handmade and one of a kind.

4. I set up a table in my studio and I play!

I put everything together, photograph the groupings, and look at my pictures at night before I go to bed. In the early part of my day I regroup the fabrics until they feel just right.

5. After much deliberation I come up with a combination that I love, figure out what sizes to do, and I label them. Often, I create color groups and sizes with particular clients in mind.

6. I carefully wrap the groups together then inventory, box them, and ship them off for a long journey to Cape Town, South Africa where Coast & Koi gets to work. They take the gems, trims, and ribbons and create the composition of the shoes, hand-sewing each detail with great skill and love.

7. The shoes arrive back here in Delray Beach and I have the joy of opening the box and seeing it all together for the first time. The collection is photographed and a carefully designed display is created and ta da….

The collection is birthed! From there, the last remaining piece of this puzzle and arguably the most rewarding is getting to share it with you.

To comfort and beauty. May they never be separate!

- Amanda J.