Podcast Episode 3: All About the Louis Exclusive c. 1660-1720

Hi All!

For this week’s episode, Abby & Lauren sit down and chat about the newest Exclusive offering from American Duchess – The Louis (Pre-Order open until May 19th! $295)

Our Louis Exclusives come in a dark red and deep blue velveteen with silver embroidery.

Here’s what we chat about –

  • Abby asks Lauren to explain how the exclusive process works for American Duchess.
  • Lauren discusses the evolution of the heeled shoe & why we named the shoes after King Louis XIV
  • Abby & Lauren chat about Lady Mary Stanhope Gell, who is rumored to have owned the original shoes we were inspired by for the exclusive. 
  • We giggle about our costuming choices and ideas for the Louis shoes & how we would costume around the shoes. 
Blue velvet shoes with silver embroidery c. 1660, rumored to have belonged to Lady Mary Stanhope (here)
Here’s the namesake of our shoes, King Louis XIV, rocking some red heels & a hell of a wig –
King Louis XIV, 1701, by Hyacinthe Rigaud (here)
Thanks to research done by Kimberly of Silk Damask, below is a portrait of Mary Stanhope from sometime in the early 1600s (when she was still a Radclyffe!). Also, don’t forget to check out Kim’s post on Silk Damask about the shoes & Mary Stanhope, it’s a great summary of what we talk about in the podcast! 
Mary Radclyffe by William Larkin, c. 1610-1613, Berger Collection

Lauren and Abby both agree that maybe experimenting with doing some costuming c. 1660 would be fun…something like this:

One of Charles II’s favorite ladies, Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine & Duchess of Cleveland by Peter Lely (Here)
We also talk about making an early 1700s mantua, like these to go with the Louis shoe –
Portrait of a Family in an Interior, Nicolas Walraven van Haften, MFA Boston, 1982.139

This is the style of gown that Abby is talking about when she references looking like a Mrs. Potato Head. 
Henrietta Maria after Sir Anthony van Dyck, 1630s (NPG London)
We hope you enjoy the podcast & don’t forget to order your Louis exclusives today! (Easy Pay Layaway & Returns are both possible with our exclusives!) 
Our Louis in a dark red with matching leather heel. 

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