“Go higher” sings Tina Arena… and more silk Marc Jacobs. No superlative scares the most influential American designer of his generation. Nothing is too crazy, nothing is too hot, nothing is too short (the proof, his last fashion show lasted less than three minutes), and above all, nothing is too high, not even 16 cm heels the Kiki, the house’s iconic pair on the verge of becoming a phenomenon. Yes, despite the height, despite the dangers, fashion succumbs when Marc pleads the cause of stilts.
In the space of a week, Beyonce sported the model for his Renaissance Tour – place to be even more desired by brands than an editorial from Vogue American – before being spotted at the feet of Dua Lipa in a captioned Instagram post “the higher the heels, the closer we are to God”. All is said. The pair, once the preserve of a few initiated and daring fashionistas, is making its debut with great fanfare (to say so) to the general public. It-shoe alert!
Once upon a time there was Kiki
There kiki walked the catwalk for the first time during the master’s fall-winter 2016/2017 show, on the feet of, among others, Kendall Jenner and Lady Gaga, both of whom played models for the occasion. The visual impact is total for the pair which seems reserved for the runways and the most seasoned ankles, reminiscent of the one signed Westwood and which caused the downfall of Naomi Campbell (Marc Jacobs has never hidden his admiration for Queen Vivienne). But nothing to stop MJ’s most fervent admirers. Boots are running out, just like those of the following season, this time presented in a shiny version.
The following shows will see the heels lowered again, but the fans do not give up. When we believe Kiki is a vestige of the past, maxi heels are starting to point their noses back, first in 2020, on Bella Hadid posing for the launch of Heaven, the new one dedicated to Gen Z from the designer. The Covid crisis pushes heels to become dizzying again and pairs of Marc Jacobs shoes are starting to be snatched up second hand. In 2021, the Grazia American names them “the next archive piece to talk about”. They had a good nose!
A little closer to the mainstream
THE kiki are seen everywhere. First in 2022 at Heaven at the feet of Nicki Minaj before returning to the podium Marc Jacobs. Becoming part of the designer’s sculptural silhouettes, we see them on the fall-winter 2022/2023 and spring-summer 2023 fashion shows before appearing on the feet of a pink-haired Kate Moss. Kim Kardashian, the new muse of the house, also wears them for the new campaign, officially making the pair mainstream. Madonna, Nicola Peltz, Kim Petras… We can no longer count the number of celebrities who celebrate them.
In a recent article, the Grazia is clear “Kiki boots by Marc Jacobs are the latest subculture shoes to become mainstream”. Forget the most fashionable fashionistas, now everyone wears it happily. The ankle boot version is currently on sale but you will still have to pay €655 to get them. Afterwards, that’s €327.5 per shoe and therefore €20.5 per centimeter of heel. Seen like that…