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A one-of-a-kind shoe designed by Workshop International made from Florida's invasive species the Burmese python. The size 7 shoe will be auctioned off at the closing event of Design for a Living World in October 2012. Workshop International

This one-of-a-kind shoe made of Burmese python skin, an invasive species in Florida, will be auctioned off at the live auction event on October 25 at the Coral Gables Museum. Buy tickets now or check out the online auction.

The Coral Gables Museum
285 Aragon Avenue
Coral Gables, FL 33134
More Info

Closing Event and Live Auction: A limited number of Design for a Living World pieces will be auctioned off to benefit The Nature Conservancy.
When: October 25
Where: The Coral Gables Museum
RSVP/Purchase Tickets here

Online Auction: All pieces will be available for auction online.
When: October 5 - 26
Go to the online auction here

Design for a Living World, an exhibit from The Nature Conservancy at the Coral Gables Museum. The exhibit features intriguing works from 9 of the world’s most renowned designers, including Isaac Mizrahi, Kate Spade New York, Yves Béhar and Maya Lin.

The collection of stunningly beautiful designs, including clothing, furniture, accessories and more, is on display in the exhibit, along with the photographs of award-winning photojournalist Ami Vitale, who documented the people and places associated with the project. The Design for a Living World exhibit suggests that together, designers and consumers help re-shape our economy and advance a global conservation ethic by consciously choosing sustainable materials that support, rather than deplete, natural environments.

About the Shoes

The Conservancy partnered with Florida based Workshop International to highlight the problem of invasive Burmese Pythons through design. Workshop International worked with a Florida exotic leather developer to source locally harvested and finished python leather. The product team worked to make a design that showcased the natural beauty of the snake skin and focused on the theme of the natural environment. The design incorporated a natural wood platform and heel from reforested hardwoods and an open sandal design appropriate for Florida’s climate and culture.

Proceeds from the auction of this unique expression of nature and design will go to support the Conservancy’s work in Florida. Learn more about the Python Patrol and our efforts to prevent the spread of the breeding population and protect the often-rare animals these snakes feed on.

Design for a Living World premiered at New York’s Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, and was later shown at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix and the Field Museum in Chicago. This stop at the Coral Gables Museum will be the final opportunity to view this important exhibition. The Nature Conservancy will host a closing celebration on October 25, featuring a live auction where guests can bid on original, one-of-a-kind pieces to benefit The Nature Conservancy.

Design for a Living World runs July 26 through October 25, 2012 at the Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables. Get tickets to the closing event and live auction

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What The Nature Conservancy is Doing for People and Nature in South Florida?

Here in South Florida, we are:

• Revitalizing our coral reefs, which not only provide for our tourist economy but are nurseries for marine life, and provide food and shelter for fish, crabs and turtles.
• Developing innovative, multi-layered maps of the Atlantic coastal systems to help leaders consider all uses. These maps can be thought of as workable operating plans that allow fisheries to prosper, whales to migrate safely and people to enjoy healthy ocean waters.
• We are bringing wetlands back to the Greater Everglades, renewing protecting and reconnecting the most crucial wetlands areas, which will make a lasting difference in Florida’s water supply for people and wildlife.
• We are stopping the spread of Burmese pythons and other non-native species that don’t belong and disrupt nature’s balance.
• We are protecting critical lands that connect existing green spaces from south Florida north so that Florida panthers have the expansive range they need to survive and grow and people have more room for recreation.