Get a free history lesson the next time you step into Bruno Magli's concept boutique on the first floor of Takashimaya in Ngee Ann City.

Seven iconic women's shoe designs from the Italian luxury label are on display in the Magli Atelier Mini Showcase till May 11.

The exhibition is held in conjunction with the annual Italian Festival.

Each of the seven designs, specially flown in from Bruno Magli's headquarters in Bologna, Italy, is symbolic of each of the seven decades between 1936, the year the company was founded, and 2006.

The 1970s punk era, for example, is represented by a pair of faux lizard skin pointed-toe pumps with corkscrew heels.

The shoes are part of the 32-piece Magli Atelier collection started in 2006 as part of the brand's then 70th anniversary celebrations. The other pieces include men's shoes and women's bags.

You can take a piece of history home with you: The shoes cost between $1,970 and $3,180 and take four months to arrive.

Each of the Atelier designs is produced in limited quantities of 100 pieces, with the first of each stored in Bruno Magli's archive in Milan.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times on May 1, 2008.