Photos by Marilyn Kirschner
The Noel Shoe Museum, the first and only shoe museum in the U.S., held its 3rd annual Gala and Shoe Ball on Thursday evening at St. Bartholomew’s Church, a unique and historic venue.
“Vanessa (Noel) has shown us that shoes are not just accessories, but vessels of creativity, history, and personal expression.” – Fern Mallis
St. Bart’s, a historic Episcopal Parish founded in January 1835, is a living testament to the rich history of New York City. The church complex was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016, a testament to its significance as an important example of early 20th-century ecclesiastical architecture.
Left Marc D’Ge, Center, Lindsay B Smith with Vanessa Noel on the right
There are only a handful of times I can recall St. Barts Church being as used as a venue for a fashion-related event: Alexander Wang’s Fall 2016 runway show, Rodarte’s Fall 2020 runway show, and most recently, BAD BINCH TONGTONG’s Spring 2025 runway show during NYFW.
Coincidentally, the God’s Love We Deliver Golden Heart Awards took place on Monday night at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. That makes it the second time within one week that a fashion benefit was staged inside a church. The Episcopalian diocese may need the money. Or perhaps Noel Shoe Museum founder Vanessa Noel just wanted to ensure her guests enjoyed a “soulful” evening!?
Johanna Schnupke is wearing a caped pink gown, accessorized with J. Pacetti Precious Jewels and pink shoes.
What inspired Vanessa to open a shoe museum in the first place? About ten years ago, the shoe designer and longtime CFDA member suffered a near-fatal heart attack. During her convalescence, Noel wondered what would happen to her label and thought about legendary shoe designers like Beth Levine, Andre Pfister, and Maude Frizon. “We need a museum to celebrate these amazing designers, The Picassos of our Industry,” said Noel.
Right before the COVID lockdown, the Noel Shoe Museum received its non-profit 501(c)(3) status through the N.Y. Board of Education. Noel is focusing on fundraising as she actively searches for a permanent home for the museum on the Upper East Side, preferably close to Museum Mile.
“A woman with good shoes is never ugly,” – Coco Chanel.
FGI President Maryanne Grisz wearing Dries Van Noten and Tory Burch’s fanciful feathered shoes
Among the 200 shoe-loving guests on hand Thursday evening to offer their support were Museum Board members Susan Gutfreund, Marc Rosen, and Joe Pacetti, famed interior designer Chris Goddard, Fern Mallis, Ladies of Madison Avenue’s Joshua Kamei, Lindsay Byron Smith, Caleb Kane, Jeffrey Banks, FGI President Maryanne Grisz, David Hochberg, philanthropist Jean Shafiroff, Michael Atmore, PR maven Jon Marder, jewelry designer Chris Davies, and media powerhouse Maureen Lippe, founder of esteemed marketing agency Lippe Taylor.
Maureen Lippe
You never know who you’ll bump into at a New York fashion event, and I was especially thrilled to reconnect with Maureen Lippe. The two of us worked together at Harper’s Bazaar in the 1970s.
Maureen Lippe, who began her career as a fashion editor at Vogue, served as beauty and health editor at Bazaar, where she was the first editor to incorporate health content into her beauty pages.
Since the inception of Lippe Taylor some 30 years ago, Maureen has provided brand-building counsel to leading companies, including Procter & Gamble, RB, Walmart, Clairol, IKEA, Johnson & Johnson, Allergan, Nestle, Revlon, Elizabeth Arden, Intel, Kmart, Lenovo, and Nordstrom.
Jean Shafiroff in Carolina Herrera, Michael Atmore, with Lisa Silhanek on the right
The dress code for an evening of cocktails, dinner, bingo, and dancing to the renowned Alex Donner Orchestra was “Cocktail Attire and Dancing Shoes,” and many guests were willing to comply. Of course, Jean Shafiroff’s idea of “cocktail attire” is a ballgown. Several other women wore long gowns as well.
Marilyn Kirschner is wearing vintage YSL pink satin trousers and Manolo Blahnik pumps. The photo by Joshua Kamei.
Dancing shoes or not, after consuming a dinner of seared beef tenderloin, herb-crushed potato, caramelized carrots, dark chocolate pot de crème, and a cookie trio for dessert, I’m not sure how light on their feet many guests felt. But that’s another story.
Left, Caleb Kane wearing a Tanner Fletcher tuxedo with Chris Goddard.
The men, as always, were the noticeable peacocks of the evening, showcasing their unique fashion sense. From colorful Ikat-printed robes to off-white suits paired with iconic Belgian Linen loafers, the men’s fashion choices were varied and on point.
Colin Anderson wearing J. Pacetti Precious Jewels
Pink was the unofficial color of the evening. Notwithstanding a current exhibition at MAD Museum, “Barbie, A Cultural Icon,” which runs through March 2025, pink has mostly lost its sugary sweet, overhyped Barbie connotation, and it is looking splendid again on both the guys and the gals.
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