The bold art and sole of Vivienne Westwood goes on show

The outlandish reinterpretations of classical silhouettes, her shoes often bear multiple bows, buckles and laces while using unusual colour to exaggerate and enliven a design.

A Personal Collection of Vivienne Westwood Shoes at The Gallery at Barnsley Civic shows how a private collector has built a collection over the last 15 years, choosing them for their innovative attitude towards design and most importantly their passion.

Best known as the creator of punk and new wave fashions, Westwood opened the SEX boutique in the 1970s with Malcolm McLaren, and the collection spans the decades from the 1970s and includes some classic examples from the designer.

The black spike SEX shoe, the hammerhead shoe, the pirate boots and the limited edition collection with Nine West and the recent mass market collaboration with the Brazilian company Melissa, clearly demonstrates that Westwood remains the undisputed queen of British fashion.

From the outset, her design aesthetic has been influenced not only by

youth and street culture, but also tradition and technique.

With this sensibility, Vivienne Westwood approaches her designs in a very different way.

Drawing on historical influence, combined with modern day styling, her use of materials, using culturally traditional or even what are often classed as old-fashioned fabrics, such as tweed, tartan and lace, all contribute to express her innovative cutting edge style.

Although widely acclaimed, Vivienne Westwood shoes sometimes caused calamity, the most infamous example being when super model, Naomi Campbell, fell on the catwalk wearing a pair of towering "super-elevated gillie" platforms.

The exhibition is open from tomorrow until July 17 at The Gallery@ The Civic, Hanson Street, Barnsley, S70 2HZ. Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm. Last admission 4.45pm and Sunday 10am-4pm. Admission free. www.barnsleycivic.co.uk Tel: 01226 327011.