Stiletto Tyranny

The perils of vertiginously high heels, not least for catwalk models.

Hilary Alexander made an impassioned call in The Telegraph for an end to “Stiletto Tyranny” following Prada’s Spring/Summer 2009 show:

At least two models tripped and fell on to the concrete floor; others wobbled and stumbled, teetering and tottering, clearly in agony, and all the while their minds were fixated on just one thing: reaching the sanctuary and safety of the backstage area without suffering a similar fate.

“Just how high do heels have to go before someone calls time on this cruel and unusual practice,” asked Alexander, noting that a number of fashion experts were so distracted by their “grim fascination with the faltering footsteps” of the models that they couldn’t concentrate on the clothes.