The Classics: Bernardo Sandals

I read recently that the iconic Bernardo is reviving some of their most popular styles from the 60s. Read on for more about the brand and a name synonymous with fashion who favored their classic styles.


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Bernardo Sandals was founded in 1946 by architect Bernard Rudofsky and Berta Rudofsky. The Rudofskys went into sandal design following the 1944 exhibition, "Are Clothes Modern?" that Mr. Rudofsky curated at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.[1] The core ideas of the designs were those Bertha taught at Black Mountain College. Monika Platzer writes, in the book Lessons from Bernard Rudofsky, "In contrast to closed footwear, which he condemned as "foot-deformers," Rudofsky preached the virtues of sandals as non-concelaing footwear; they represented a suitable type of shoe, one that transcended conventionality and ever-changing fashions."[2]

The first collection was presented at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Manhattan, and featured only 6 designs.[3] All six designs consisted of strappy uppers on an asymmetrical leather sole that was pancake flat. The collection was almost immediately successful, and in the 1950s and 1960s high-end fashion magazines such as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar regularly featured Bernardo sandals in fashion editorials.[4] By the 1960s Jackie Kennedy was said to own 16 colors of the same pair.[5] The shoes were produced in Italy, and the company has been sold several times.

The line is currently designed by Dennis Comeau,[6]. The current Bernardo sandal line includes several of Rudofsky's original designs.

(Images: netaporter.com, backstory: Wikipedia)

I purchased a pair of their sandals about four years ago (a sleek black thong), which I still wear. This reminds me that I need to dig them out of the closet for spring and summer!