One icon of style inspires another

Salvatore Ferragamo first met Audrey Hepburn in 1954 in Florence, Italy. The actress had come to Ferragamo’s atelier to buy some custom-made shoes.

This wasn’t the craftsman’s first encounter with a huge movie star. In the 1920s, Ferragamo opened a boot shop in Hollywood and counted Mary Pickford, Rudolf Valentino and Gloria Swanson as his customers. He made stilettos for Marilyn Monroe. But Ferragamo was impressed with Hepburn’s elegance and grace.

Hepburn, meanwhile, was an avid fan of dance. Ferragamo used that as inspiration for the now-famous Audrey shoe, a ballerina-like flat with a Mary-Jane strap.

The shape of the shoe has remained unchanged in its 50 years but colors and materials change to reflect the mood of fashion. It remains one of the company’s best-selling designs.

Place settings should be festive

(KRT) — A holiday party is the perfect opportunity to set a memorable table. Here are some ideas from Robert Zollweg, creative director for Libbey Inc.:

• Stack the salad and dinner plates at each place setting, and tie them together with a decorative fabric ribbon.
• Use clear martini or margarita glasses to serve desserts, sorbets or even side dishes such as mashed potatoes.
• Create an easy centerpiece by filling a shallow glass bowl partly with water, adding fresh or frozen cranberries, then placing a cylinder vase or tumbler filled with white flowers in the center of the berries. Position tea lights around the vase, and finish with holiday greenery, if desired.
• Use egg whites and a small paintbrush to paint a simple pattern on glassware. Immediately sprinkle the design with fine sugar.
• Dress the rims of plain white plates with a border of chocolate kisses, candy hearts or edible flowers.
• Use cordial glasses to serve individual, sample-size desserts, such as chocolate mousse, gelatin parfaits or cheesecake filling.