2024 Highlight - The Witchycoo Boots
The story of how our favourite ever and most special vintage find ended up on show in the Icons of British Fashion exhibition this year…
Viv Albertine of The Slits, 1970’s
If you follow us over on Instagram, then you’re probably sick and tired of hearing about this, but I’ve honestly never been more excited about something I’ve sourced and identified, let alone the story of where it ended up! So if you don’t mind indulging me again, then I’ll share the backstory once more…
I had been on a little sourcing visit at the sweetest ladies home. The fact that there’s people who have kept hold of pieces in their wardrobe since they were young still amazes me (and makes me even more sad, knowing that most of my cherished pieces from my youth are long gone, with thanks to ebay being my source of survival after uni). Anyway, she had some great pieces- quite a fashionista back then. The black boots that were laid out on the bed were so incredible, I couldn’t stop looking at them, gutted that they were completely too tiny for me. There was no inner sole in them- no information on the brand to be seen, but the fact that my fashionable lady was a regular at the boutiques, and already had some other Terry de Havilland pairs out too, I figured there was a high chance they were his design also. The shape! The heel! The detailing!
Once home and researching, I couldn’t find any information about these on the internet. They didn’t seem to exist. It wasn’t until I was scrolling Pinterest that the image of Viv Albertine appeared. I jumped up! That outfit that Viv wears on the cover of her memoir Clothes Clothes Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boys, Boys, Boys, I had lusted over for so long. Of course! Those are the boots that have been living in my subconscious as soon as I saw them. I went and grabbed the book off the shelf and scoured the pages for where she mentions the boots, and found another photo of her in them, stating that they were a Terry de Havilland pair. That was all I needed to see…
…well, it wasn’t, I kinda wanted verification too. The new day TDH team were unable to fully verify for me though. I knew deep down they were his though, no one could imitate that attention to detail. (This is also why the brand has never been the same since his departure in 2015…)
I had them on eBay for a bit, before one day getting the purchase through. I saw the name and had a tiny freak out. Being reluctant to part with them in the first place, knowing I couldn’t even wear them- just having them was enough for me. I wanted to be confident they would go to a loving home, but never imagined they would go to the best home possible- back within the de Havilland household!
Liz was Terrys widow (he had sadly passed in 2019), and was purchasing them for her personal archive. He would apparently speak fondly of his ‘Witchycoo’ range from the early 1970’s - finally I had all the confirmation I needed, and the name!
I was finding the words to write Liz after receiving the order, and then a beautiful long message came through from herself. We exchanged a few emails and it was lovely to hear personal stories, memories and photographs of the late 'Rock n Roll Cobbler’.
Fast forward a couple of months, and I receive an email from Liz to let me know that the boots will indeed be part of the Icons of British Fashion exhibition that she is helping to curate, and being held at the stunning Blenheim Palace.
We made a little day trip out to Woodstock, Oxfordshire to visit the exhibition, which also featured the works of fellow British icons- the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Zandra Rhodes, Lulu Guiness, Alice Temperley, Barbour, Stephen Jones & Stella McCartney.
Everything was beautifully curated, a real spectacular.
The start of Terry’s section covered the early years, with collages of press clippings and leather samples, before going into the main room to stare into the cabinets which contained all sorts of delights. Our boots were in great company in the rock n roll cabinet, featuring footwear inspired by the likes of Debbie Harry and David Bowie.
(Unfortunately, the boots were however credited with thanks to Viv Albertine. I would like to reiterate that the boots on display were not the pair that belonged to Viv herself, but merely identified with thanks to her imagery from the 70’s punk days…)
Nevertheless, it was a fantastic day, finished off with a walk around the amazing grounds and a ride on the teeny train (never miss an opportunity for a tiny train ride!)
I couldn’t be more thrilled to have in some small way, contributed to an exhibition. To have come across a special pair of boots that I had long lusted over, to then find out they were indeed a Terry de Havilland design (the best of the best!) To then be able to send them off the late designers wife, adding to her personal archive is all I could’ve hoped for and can only hope that I’m able to continue sourcing such special pieces.
Thanks for reading, enjoy this little highlights reel from our visit…
Dani x