Katerina Shukshina Fashions Wearable Footwear From Flowers, Fruits and Vegetables

Katerina Shukshina builds shoes from living plants, and a single piece may survive only one day. Sunflowers rise above stiletto heels in one design, while dandelions cluster around the foot in a slipper form. Cauliflower becomes a boot; zucchini can suggest a ballet slipper. Raised in a small village, Shukshina traces the work to a childhood spent climbing trees, making bows and arrows from branches, foraging, and eating produce picked directly from the family garden. She seldom draws preparatory sketches, letting the shape, color and texture of the plants direct each piece. Sometimes the material proposes the object; other times she starts from an idea for a shoe or accessory and combs her garden or the nearby landscape for suitable plants. Because the materials wilt or shift within hours, she works fast, frequently finishing and photographing a piece in one day. The short lifespan of the blooms and vegetables is integral to the effect, pairing childhood whimsy with the elegance of women's fashion. Shukshina shares new work on Instagram under the handle shu_katerina, and My Modern Met credited her with permission to feature the photographs.