Hot on
on the
the
Hot
Heels of
of Power
Power
Heels
IN A VIRTUAL ARISTOCRACY
STILETTOS HAVE REACHED SUPERNORMAL HIGHS
✒V
In The Decay Of Lying — An
Observation, Oscar Wilde argued that “Life
imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life”.
This challenged the idea expressed in
Aristotle’s Poetics that: Poetry [Art] is first
and foremost a ‘medium of imitation,’ meaning a form of art that seeks to mimic or
represent life. At first glance, a virtual world
like IMVU seems to fall into the Aristotelian
view. The website is plastered with adverts
that have a striking resemblance to real
life fashion and lifestyle magazine spreads.
Flawless complexions and exaggerated
proportions beckon you to create a reality
very similar to your own, where “designer”
labels and status come relatively cheap and
you are only limited by your computer’s
hardware. Or your virtual wallet. It is this
freedom though, that tilts this meta-verse in
Wilde’s favour. One of the best examples of
this is something that is seemingly
innocuous and in nearly everyone’s
inventory. It is the high-heeled shoe.
Flash back in time to the late 16th
century. To before Christian Louboutin,
before Sex and the City, before elevated
and sharp-heeled shoes had become a
staple of both vice and the office. Shāh
Abbās I of Persia is sending delegates to
European royal courts that shared his
enmity with the Ottoman Empire to muster
diplomatic and military backing. The
impressive pageantry of the Persian
delegations inspired a surge of interest in
Iranian fashion, especially in that of their
cavalry. Since the 9th century, the
mounted archers had worn shoes with
elongated heels to keep their feet in
stirrups as they rode and stood to