LOLA PAGOLA exhibithion in the Dutch Leather and Shoe Museum March 11th

Lola Pagola was a shoe brand that existed for a decade. It was founded in 1985 by designers Marijke Bruggink and Marlie Witteveen. Fifteen years ago there came an end to the existence of one of the most prominent footwear brands in the last 25 years, Lola Pagola.


This striking and often controversial label was founded in 1984 by Marijke Bruggink and Marlie Witteveen. In the rather conservative scene of shoe suppliers, the fresh and colorful designs of Lola Pagola were quite a change. Not hindered by any knowledge of marketing strategies, but with a huge dose of creativity and enthusiasm, they were at the beginning of what came to be a wave of Dutch design would prove to be.

Their exuberant designs with many frills were slowly replaced with more subdued, beautiful and more functional models. As sources of inspiration were archetypal shoe forms, subcultures and movie stars from the 50s. On the eve of the new millennium the brand Lola Pagola became so popular that more and more copies came to the market. Consumers expected a new collection every season, which is not only a lot of pressure but also entailed exorbitantly high costs. Bruggink and Witteveen were already for some time engaged in the development of collections for other companies and eventually decided to each take on their own path to continue. In 1998 the curtain finally fell for Lola Pagola.

Final? No, not quite! Bruggink and Witteveen still received many questions about Lola Pagola, so they decided to launch the website www.lolapagola.nl in 2011. Not with the intention of reviving the label again to life, but especially as a tribute to their pioneering work. This inspired the Dutch Leather and Shoe Museum to organize an exhibition with their collection of Pagola Lola shoes that they have had on long-term loan from Bruggink and Witteveen since 2000. Many iconic designs like the glamourous corset shoes, the rubber dip shoe and the combat clog will be shown in this exhibition alongside many famous and lesser unknown works of art in this unforgettable shoe label!

Dutch Leather and Shoe Museum Waalwijk
11.03.2012 – 17.06.2012

www.schoenenmuseum.nl

www.virtualshoemuseum.com/lola-pagola