“If Dorothy were living in the 21st century, what would she wear?” I cannot answer that, but I certainly want a pair of Ruby Slippers in my wardrobe too! However, Warner Bros. and Swarovski have an answer to this question. Warner Bros. Consumer Products has teamed up with CRYSTALLIZED Swarovski Elements to invite the world’s top shoe designers to reinterpret Dorothy’s iconic Ruby Slippers for modern times. To commemorate the 70th anniversary of iconic American classic The Wizard of Oz, a team of renowned designers was granted creative license to re-imagine Dorothy’s design. After touring more than 20 prestigious destinations around the world, including Los Angeles, Miami, Paris, Tokyo, Dubai, and Melbourne, The Ruby Slipper Collection and original design sketches are being auctioned online by Charity Folks to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. I don’t mind strutting around in the Tibi Design ($1,000), that is if someone is glad to gift the pair to me this Christmas. They really stand out as the most contemporary version of Ruby Slippers.
The public has one final chance to view The Ruby Slipper Collection in entirety at the Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED flagship store at 499 Broadway in New York City from September 10th-23rd. The auction, which is open to global bidders, will close on the evening of September 24, 2009. Each pair of designer Ruby Slippers in the Collection will be auctioned off individually.