CREDIT: BATASHOEMUSEUM.CA
Elizabeth Semmelhack, senior curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, is coming to Fanshawe to give a talk on the history of the high heel on October 12.

If you've got a passion for fashion or a special place in your heart for shoes, listen up.

Elizabeth Semmelhack, the senior curator of the Bata Show Museum in Toronto, is coming to Fanshawe on October 12 to give a presentation called "The High Heel," which will explore the history of the high heeled shoe and how it came to be.

Semmelhack knows shoes — she's a scholar and author of several books and essays on the subject. Her work focuses on the role that clothing plays in the construction of gender, with a strong focus on the history of elevating footwear.

"Students should attend this guest speaker because it is relevant to the industry they are going into," said Deb Trotechaud, the Fashion Merchandising faculty member who organized the event. "Having an understanding of where things started or originated from gives a better understanding of how they evolve and how history does repeat itself with some adaptation. Every one of us wears some form of footwear, whether it is a running shoe, high heel or boot, without ever thinking about its origin."

Semmelhack's talk takes place on October 12 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in D1060.