Get to know Rayne shoes, Queen Elizabeth’s footwear choice It's in our wish-list.
Truly luxurious, Rayne shoes is a British brand that flies under the mainstream radar even though some of the most iconic women of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have worn and still wear them, as for example, the Queen.
Royal Warrant
Rayne was founded in 1885 by Henry and Mary Rayne. After a 25-year hiatus, their great-grandson, Nicolas Rayne, brought the footwear label back and got the Queen’s seal of approval. So far, the British brand has held three Royal Warrants; Queen Mary and The Queen Mother had already granted Rayne the honourable mark of prestige before.
Quintessentially British
What began as a theatrical costume company soon became one of the most glamorous high-end manufacturers of couture shoes for the British high society. In fact, among its clients are Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret and Princess Anne, who famously wore Rayne shoes on their wedding days. Additionally, Prince Diana was also a fan of the brand, wearing it to meet Mother Theresa in 1997.
Famous clients
But Rayne clientele is not only royalty. Heads of State such as Margaret Thatcher and Benazir Bhutto walked in these shoes. Additionally, stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Brigitte Bardot, Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner and Marlene Dietrich chose the luxurious pumps. Many guest designers collaborated throughout the company’s history, for example, Mary Quant, the mother of miniskirts in the ’60s Swinging London, Jean Muir and Roger Vivier, among others.
London Fashion Week
By the way, the grandfather of Nicolas Rayne, Sir Edward Rayne, who opened the stunning flagship store on Bond Street in 1920, was responsible for London Fashion Week’s international prestige, being an ambassador for British Fashion.
Today, the sophisticated shoes are produced in premium materials by artisans in Italy. But they maintain the quirky British eccentricity and boldness while managing to be elegant and comfortable at the same time.
Works of art
To sum up; Rayne shoes have had such an impact on fashion that they were showcased at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London, and they’re in the archives of museums such as the Metropolitan in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum on London.
And now, you too can walk in the same pumps as the illustrious fans of Rayne shoes. Check our selection.
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