Killer Heels

Killer Heels explores the rich cultural history of the high heel and its relation to power, fantasy, sexuality and identity. More than 160 spectacular contemporary and historical shoe designs - from sixteenth-century Venetian platforms to twenty-first-century Christian Louboutins - are presented around six themes: Revival and Reinterpretation, Rising in the East, Glamour and Transgression, Architecture, Metamorphosis and Space Walk. Going beyond the archetypal forms of stiletto, wedge and platform, these extraordinary designs play with the cultural and artistic possibilities of the high heel, use innovative or unexpected materials and push the limits of functionality, wear ability and beauty. Complementing the shoes are stills, sketches and artist statements for six films specially commissioned for the exhibition from Ghada Amer and Reza Farkhondeh, Zach Gold, Steven Klein, Nick Knight, Marilyn Minter and Rashaad Newsome that explore a range of provocative themes and demonstrate the power of the high heel in the collective imagination. In addition, several of the designers included in the exhibition (including Brian Atwood, Zaha Hadid, Pierre Hardy and Christian Louboutin), along with Elizabeth Semmelhack, Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum, contribute thoughts on topics such as their inspiration and design process and the cultural significance of high heels. Beautiful, informative and just plain fun, this collection of killer heels is filled with stunning photos and fashion lore.

From the boardroom to the bedroom, the catwalk to the kerbside… Starry-eyed ingénue Coco Raeburnis passionately ambitious. She will do anything - and anyone - to get her own editorship at a top fashion magazine. And her ruthless boss Victoria Glossop, editor at top UK fashion magazine Style, will do everything in her power to stop her… But Victoria has her own ambitions - she wants the top job at Style's US headquarters, and nothing will come between her and her dream. Uber-svengaliJacob Dupleix, media magnate, owner of Style, and one of the most powerful men in New York and London, is used to controlling all he sees. But when Victoria demands that he give her the US Style editorship, he gives in, little realizing that his empire could be about to fall apart. In New York, mentor and voice of calm in a storm, Mereillewatches the shifts of power with detached amusement. If only they knew quite how much power she could wield if she had to…

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling series! L.A. shoe designer Maddie Springer hasn't seen her father since he reportedly ran off to Las Vegas with a showgirl named Lola. So she's shocked when he leaves a desperate plea for help on her answering machine—ending in a loud bang. Gunshot? Car backfire? Never one to leave her curiosity unsatisfied, Maddie straps on her stilettos and, along with her trigger-happy best friend, makes tracks for Sin City in search of her MIA dad. Maddie hits the jackpot, all right. She finds not only her dad, but also a handful of aging drag queens, an organized crime ring smuggling fake Prada pumps, and one relentless killer. Plus, it seems the LAPD's sexiest cop is doing a little Vegas moonlighting of his own. In a town where odds are everything, Maddie bets it all on her ability to out-step a vicious murderer. She just hopes her gamble pays off…before her own luck runs out. Other Books in the High Heels Series: #1 Spying in High Heels #2 Killer in High Heels #3 Undercover in High Heels #3.5 Christmas in High Heels (short story) #4 Alibi in High Heels #5 Mayhem in High Heels #5.5 Honeymoon in High Heels (short story) #5.75 Sweetheart in High Heels (novella) #6 Fearless in High Heels #7 Danger in High Heels #8 Homicide in High Heels #9 Deadly in High Heels What critics are saying about Killer in High Heels: "This amusing whodunit scores big. Maddie's winning return, with her bold comical voice and knack for thinking fast on her strappy slingbacks, will elicit cheers from fans of the growing chick mystery field." ~ Publishers' Weekly "Blending romance and humor, Maddie and her madcap friends are an enjoyable treat." ~ Parkersburg Sentinel "Readers who crave light mystery mixed with romance will love this book!" ~ Fresh Fiction "KILLER IN HIGH HEELS is 'packing' with action, hilarity, danger, almost-sex, and fashion wows and woes. Gemma Halliday gives the reader nothing but pure indulgence and fabulous fun!" ~ Once Upon a Romance "This is a first-rate, humorous mystery and one you can't help but grin and giggle all the way through." ~ Romance Reader at Heart "KILLER IN HIGH HEELS is a humorous, delectable romp you won't want to miss!" ~ Romance Junkies

Ruby Delisantro never blushes... ...but after one glance from the infuriating Callum Westmore's bedroom eyes she's flushed redder than a glac cherry. Her body has the right idea, for now that Callum's convertible has crashed into her life, nothing will ever be the same.... Ruby's always been in the driver's seat when it comes to relationships, but something tells her that Callum sees straight through her sharp salsa moves and snappy one-liners to her soft-as-buttercream heart beneath. For Ruby's in danger of losing control and-worse still-liking it

L.A. shoe designer, Maddie Springer, lives her life by three rules: Fashion. Fashion. Fashion. But when she stumbles upon the work of a brutal killer, her life takes an unexpected turn from Manolos to murder. And things only get worse when her boyfriend disappears - along with $20 million in embezzled funds - and her every move is suddenly under scrutiny by the LAPD's sexiest cop. With the help of her post-menopausal bridezilla of a mother, a 300 pound psychic and one seriously oversexed best friend, Maddie finds herself stepping out of her stilettos and onto the trail of a murderer. But can she catch a killer before the killer catches up to her.

When mystery author Maggie Kelly pops across the pond for a movie shoot--accompanied by her once-fictional, now all-too-real (not to mention sexy) hero, Alexandre, Viscount Saint Just--she's in for a jolly good time. We are not amused ... Don't get me wrong--there was plenty to laugh about when we first arrived in Merry Olde England to watch one of my novels being shot as a TV movie. Alex was delighted with the location (a seventeenth-century manor house), but horrified with the surfer-dude mimbo playing him. I, personally, found the situation hilarious ... until the scriptwriter showed up. Dead. Lights, camera ... action! No, not that kind of action. Hmmmm ... on second thought ... Okay, so things are suddenly getting hot and heavy between Alex and me--and our timing is atrocious as usual, what with the murder and mayhem. Suspects? Don't get me started. There's Mr. Contemptuous Director, Ms. Man-Crazy Production Assistant, Mr. Fancy Pants English Actor, Ms. Diva Leading Lady, and ... yours truly. Yep, I was seen arguing with the victim right before his unfortunate demise, so I am, as the Brits would say, in a bit of a pickle.

From the Agatha Award-Winning Author of Dying In Style Every job has its pluses and minuses. Josie Marcus gets to shoe-shop-but she also must deal with men like Mel Poulaine, who's too interested in handling women's feet. Soon Josie's been hired by Mel's boss to mystery-shop the store, but one step leads to another and Josie finds herself in St. Louis's seedy underbelly. Caught up in a web of crime, Josie hopes against hope that she won't end up murdered in Manolos.