The Bed, The Shoe, The Girl: A Style Profile

The mirrored bed set, now at L'Hotel in Saint-Germain, Paris, and the shoe, by André Perugia, both once part of the stylish world of Mistinguett (1875-1956), dancer of Folies-Bergère and Moulin Rouge fame, and once highest paid female entertainer in the world.

You might remember the Folies-Bergère from the Manet painting (1881-82):


What strikes me most is just how contemporary everything looks (well, everything except the Folies Bergèrge itself). That shoe could have walked right off a runway (and SHOULD walk right into my closet) and the bed set... Let's just say mirrored furniture has been everywhere for at least a couple of years and I haven't felt compelled to buy any, yet this makes me want to reconsider. I can't say I'd plop it in a room with extremely nondescript beige walls and curtains, but we can chalk that up to boring hotel design, right?

Scans from Beds by Diane Von Furstenburg and Shoes: A Celebration of Pumps, Sandals, Slippers & More by Linda O'Keeffe.