thursgay styles, cintra wilson, jezebel, louboutin, warhol

The Department Stores Have All Become Museums

In the future, Andy Warhol once said, "All department stores will become museums, and all museums will become department stores." This has already happened: see the Prada store on Broadway, the former location of the Guggenheim Museum's SoHo branch. It's also occurred at Christian Louboutin, the French purveyor of $900 classic fuck-me pumps, the NYT's Thursday Styles section reveals. Here, the shoes are displayed fetishistically in cases, with red carpet and mirrors... yet, they are not available.

Critical Shopper Cintra Wilson reveals a scene of hysterical tourists and WASPS demanding to buy them. But there's nothing left in their size! Or anybody's size!

"There is simply nothing," [sales clerk] Bubble lamented with an oversize shrug. "Your size is the most popular one. I wish I could sell you some shoes. All we have is 5, 6 and 40... We don't know anything! We have no computer. We don't know if they have anything on Horatio," Bubble said, referring to the downtown Louboutin boutique, "or at Bergdorf, or in Los Angeles."

The Louboutin store has surpassed the outmoded task of selling shoes. Now all they need to do is create a demand; the sales are beyond the point:

"We want since two days!" the man bellowed, the brass buttons on his nautical blazer melting in fright.
His wife let out a visceral moan and gnashed her perfect teeth; her eyes rolled upward in despair as she clutched in rueful hands the wrong size. For a moment she resembled the anguished Mary of Michelangelo's Pietà — only evil.

And so the department store has become the museum. But has anyone been to the Museum of Modern Art Store lately? They've got some rad scarves for sale.

Open-Toed Fetishes (and More) [NYT]

1:42 PM on Thu May 1 2008
By Sheila
3,092 views
15 comments

Comments

SneakingThroughTheAlle... at 01:52 PM on 05/01/08
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The poors can't even afford half a tank of gas and the riches are OUT OF LOUBOUTINS?

I don't know that money buys happiness, but I wouldnt mind marrying up/coming back wealthy in my next life to perform the little experiment & find out.
Gayyker at 01:58 PM on 05/01/08
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Apple shaped sugar pot!
AuntPeniston at 02:01 PM on 05/01/08
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Imagine my dismay when I went to Altman's the other day to peruse the shirtwaists only to find they've converted the place into a CUNY school. With a crappy gallery on the ground floor.
whitekidinflatbush at 02:07 PM on 05/01/08
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Pathetically, this reminds me of the episode of Ugly Betty when Daniel Meade reminisced of his childhood days when his mother would take him to the "clothing museums", with his brother-turned-sister replying, "Those were stores, dumb-ass! Mom just called them museums to get us out of school!"
hypocriteoath at 02:09 PM on 05/01/08
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Connectedness Index: 176

So we can safely assume HamNo will soon be doing a similar piece on the A-life rivington club?
thatgirlinnewyork at 02:10 PM on 05/01/08
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hmmm--good point, andy! that old museum in bk is now pimping LV.
EdnasEdibles at 02:13 PM on 05/01/08
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I know how that lady feels. I get the same way when I go to the Nine West outlet and they only have size 5 and 11 shoes. I start clutching $30 flats in my rueful hands too. But you know, then I snap out of it and get shoes somewhere else.
BalknChain at 02:24 PM on 05/01/08
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Connectedness Index: 623

can we get northeastern title loans out for shoes?
edithdoll at 02:27 PM on 05/01/08
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Actually I think there's a lot of truth to that quote -- with Museums franchising their gift shops into stand alone stores like Moma, the Met and others. Also the tied in with the gift show of the special exhibits.

Boutique stores and upscale department stores strike me as going for the case in display type set up. Barney's was like that, just an artfully arrnage rack of clothes here or there and mannequin kneeling on a table. Emporio Armani and Chanel both struck me like: our clothes are encased -- you must asked to see them and if you think to inquire price we shall not show then to you.

The red on the bottom shoes are getting a lot of press lately but I think the out of size we don't know thing is to get a wait list. Much like the Kelly bag. C'est la vie.
PaisleyPajamas at 02:29 PM on 05/01/08
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Connectedness Index: 241

Christian Louboutin, the French purveyor of $900 classic fuck-me pumps...

Didn't these shoes used to cost $1200 a pair? Does this mean being rich also makes you immune to inflation?
digitalsmoothie at 03:23 PM on 05/01/08
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@AuntPeniston: soooooo Dreiser-y!

I doubt I could buy anything for over $5 from a shopgirl who made me think of Edina's assistant from Ab Fab...
BrutallyHonestBabes at 03:46 PM on 05/01/08
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Nice to know that $900 shoes buys you exactly no customer service from Bubble. Anyone else picturing Bubble from Ab Fab? Awesome.
Saxon 212 at 09:59 PM on 05/01/08
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It's a well known fact in New York retail that shoe sales people work mostly on commission,as much as 10% and very little salary,so how will Bubble be able to afford to nibble donkey pate at the Spotted Pig or drink amusing little cocktails at the Beartrice Inn now that there's no income?
backseat_driver10023 at 01:01 AM on 05/02/08
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@saxon212: They have rich sugar daddies?
SW-2 at 01:58 AM on 05/02/08
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For about $5, you can get some shiny red paint and do up all the soles of your Payless pumps.