Prince’s boldest footwear is being showcased in a new exhibit, The Beautiful Collection: Prince’s Custom Shoes, at the musician’s former Paisley Park home in Chanhassen, Minn.
This limited-edition display opened July 9 and is a collaboration between Paisley Park and The Prince Estate; it’s the largest exhibit to-date that highlights the “Purple Rain” musician’s most famous shoes. Over 300 pairs can be viewed as part of all Paisley Park tours.
Prince’s cultural impact on fashion and music is a remarkable one, which the display highlights. The singer, who died at 57 in 2016, boldly challenged standard fashion norms at the height of his fame, donning numerous flowing, broad-shouldered and flared outfits featuring sequins, bright colors and fringe, often paired with his signature high-heeled boots. These shoes that became Prince’s trademark compose a large part of the exhibit, including pairs worn in his “Raspberry Beret” music video and custom made by Versace.
“Prince continuously pushed the boundaries of fashion, music, and culture in general,” said the exhibit’s curator, Mitch Maguire, in a statement. “His expansive, incredible shoe collection is just one example of his artistic expression, personality, and lasting impact on fashion. When guests visit this exhibition, they will be immersed in the drama, taste, and complexity of Prince while also revealing some of the collaborators who worked so closely to bring his vision to life.”
Aside from Prince’s iconic boots, Paisley Park visitors can also view his boldly patterned and custom shoe collection that includes platform sneakers and roller skates, as well as their iconic stories. The footwear will be paired with video clips of Prince in the aforementioned shoes, in addition to recorded audio from the shoemakers themselves — including Donatella Versace and the musician’s iconic shoemakers Andre No.1 and Cos Kyriacou.
Tickets are available for The Beautiful Collection: Prince’s Custom Shoes tour on Paisleypark.com.
See Prince’s iconic style through the years.
