I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to showcase the 1941 perspex heeled shoes below, from the book Fashion at the time of Fascisim. They just look so remarkably modern, particularly the wedges, that you really wouldn’t look twice if they appeared in the pages of Vogue.

And indeed this month’s Vogue’s Catwalk Guide has given me the perfect opportunity to put these babies back into the limelight. From Yves St Laurent to Chanel to Rodarte, perspex is the material “de rigeur” for Autumn heels.

When perspex comes to mind my resounding image has to be the Queen of the Galaxy, Barbarella. Designed by Paco Rabanne, there’s no escaping the influence of transparent, highly textured material in these costumes. From head to toe, every outfit found itself bubble wrapped!