Pumps for the First Lady Custom-Made in the Footwear Workshops of TBU in Zlín
21. March 2023The pumps and the cream clutch bag worn by the First Lady Eva Pavlová at the inauguration ceremony of President Petr Pavel were custom-made in Zlín. They were designed by a young and successful PhD student of the Footwear Research Centre of Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Oldrich Voyta. The collaboration was created thanks to Štěpánka Pivcová. As a fashion designer and stylist to Eva Pavlová, she recommended Oldrich Voyta as a talented shoe designer. Further cooperation with the Castle is planned for the future.
The pumps are made of powder pink fabric, which Oldrich Voyta and Eva Pavlová selected in cooperation with the company Polstrin.
The heels were printed by the designer on a 3D printer. Their shape reflects the vault of the Vladislav Hall. “At the same time, I inserted a membrane in the heel top piece to absorb shocks during walk and thus bring greater comfort,” said Voyta. He hand-stitched the heel seam with river pearls and Preciosa crystals, and covered the insole with golden leather.
“Currently, further cooperation is under discussion. Nevertheless, unless the client wears my shoes, there is always the possibility that she may end up wearing a different pair of shoes. In contrast to clothing and accessories, footwear must be primarily functional, and only then aesthetically pleasing and manufactured in a precise fashion. Therefore, for me, the greatest honour is to receive a positive feedback, to see that the shoes are comfortable and fashionable at the same time.”
Oldrich Voyta is currently studying the doctoral programme in Technology of Macromolecular Substances at the Footwear Research Centre of Tomas Bata University in Zlín. He also conducted a research into diabetic sports shoes. According to Voyta:“Worldwide, shoes for diabetics must be as comfortable as possible at the expense of design, which results in the production of rather unsightly shoes. My goal was to offer diabetes patients more options in this regard. I believe that within a few years, such comfortable and visibly pleasing shoes will be available to all those who need it.”
Oldrich Voyta was inspired by the world-famous Spanish designer and shoemaker Manolo Blahnik, who – during his career – designed shoes, for example, for Lady Diana, Madonna and Kylie Minogue.
Photos: Oldrich Voyta archive