Have you had a chance to check out our pre-order collection for October 2026 yet? The See and be Seen collection features three vintage reproduction spectator styles. Sylvie represents the 1930s, Stella the 1940s, and Suzette the 1950s. While all of these styles share common characteristics, they are also each aesthetically unique to their respective decades. So, what was our thought process behind each of these styles, and how did this collection come to be?
Spectators were popular in womenswear starting in the late 1920s/early 1930s, through the rest of what we now think of as the ‘vintage’ era. In general, a spectator shoe is a two-tone style with contrasting panels. Broguing and decorative pinking are also common features on a spectator. This menswear-inspired design was used in lots of different iterations, in line with what was trending in fashion at the time. With this sort of wide variety in original examples, we wanted to make a cohesive collection of vintage reproduction spectators that exemplified different aspects of 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s fashion.
Sylvie, our 1930s spectator, has a really interesting and super 1930s design. Sylvie was originally inspired by a vintage Dolcis shoe ad from the time. We loved the idea of a sleek, open sided D’Orsay style shoe with a delicate application of spectator details. Sylvie has a high tongue, which is very 1930s, and is decorated with symmetrical Deco-style cutouts. As we’ve mentioned in some other blog posts discussing 1930s fashion, cutouts were a great way to add visual interest to a shoe whilst not adding to production costs.
Additionally, they were a creative way to apply 1930s-style artistry to fashion. Rather than a contrasting colored heel cap, Sylvie has a matching toe cap and strap closure that contrasts with a mostly ivory upper. With a beautiful reproduction 3.5”/8.9 cm Spanish heel, this design really comes together with a distinctly 1930s look.
Onto Stella, our 1940s platform spectator: this shoe is an icon, and we’re not just saying that!
Some may think of 1940s footwear as all practical, wartime oxfords. But the 1940s were also the era of sexy, tall, slingback platforms. Those pinup girls had to have something to wear on their feet! Really, the slingback platform styles of the 1940s are where modern platform heels got their start. While towering platforms came in a variety of styles- like the ones our Ava Platforms are based on, for example- slingback spectators were especially popular. If you look through vintage catalogues from the time, you will find all sorts of options.
We wanted to create a spectator slingback that really encapsulated the classic spectator lines- contrasting panels, broguing, and sharp details. We did archival research, looked at lots of photos of extant shoes, and thoroughly examined a pair in our own collection. In the end, we tinkered with the details until we got Stella. We just love how this shoe came out. The symmetrical points on the vamp and toe cap, the sleek curve under the slingback, and the contrast of the 1940s color palette with ivory smooth leather and sand suede- just pure 1940s fabulousness.
For our 1950s spectator, we wanted to make a pump that really embraced the feminine side of 1950s footwear.
Something that really captured us in our archival research of 1950s spectator pumps was a subtle application of the spectator details. For example, rather than a large heel cap with broguing and pinking, many options we looked at had a small heel cap, or no heel cap at all- just a contrasting heel. Some designs had a touch of broguing just under the heel cap, on the heel itself. This detail worked perfectly with the subtle toe cap we wanted to use.
In contrast to the statement toe cap on Stella, Suzette’s toe cap is delicate, and comes just to the line where the toe moves into the vamp. Paired with a little, super-1950s bow, this shoe has just the right amount of color contrast and balance. The decorative application of the spectator details is complemented by the lines of the shoe itself- balanced swoops and curves with a few thoughtfully applied angles.
Overall, we know you will be just thrilled with how these spectators came out. They are each so versatile and smart! We can’t wait to see how everyone styles them once they are in our hands.
Sylvie, Stella, and Suzette are all 15% off each pair when you order through October 25 in our US and EU/UK stores.
Pre-Order is Open
October 16-25
15% Discount Per Pair
AmericanDuchess.com
