The Noel Shoe Museum

​Founded by renowned shoe designer Vanessa Noel and located in New York City, the Noel Shoe Museum will celebrate the creativity and imagination of footwear throughout history via exhibitions that showcase the best collaborations in fashion, art, and the culture of footwear with an emphasis on design, designers, history, and the manufacturing of footwear.

In addition to its permanent collection, the museum will also present a number of exhibitions annually all of which will provide an immersive, interactive, and inspiring experience. The Museum’s permanent collection and exhibitions will eventually be accessible both nationally and internationally.

Serving as a formal cultural institution, the Museum will not only generate research but also create training and educational opportunities for the general public.

The Noel Shoe Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity and donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. As a non-profit organization, the Noel Shoe Museum depends on your support to help us build the most exciting new cultural institution in New York City for the world to enjoy!

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The mission of the Noel Shoe Museum is to learn about the culture of man through the evolution of the shoe, to further the education on and preservation of footwear, to celebrate the creativity and imagination of shoes through exhibitions which showcase the best collaborations in fashion, design, art, and the culture of footwear with an emphasis on design, designers, history, and the manufacturing of footwear.

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FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN

Vanessa Noel

TREASURER

Billie Bailkin

MUSEUM BOARD

Rachelle Friedman

Susan Gutfreund

Carolina Herrera

Carolyn Maloney

H.R.H Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia

Joe Pacetti

Patricia Raynes

Marc Rosen

Jackie Tucker

BILLIE BAILKIN, Treasurer.Billie is currently a principal in Aerete strategic  development LLC, a multidisciplinary real estate development firm specializing in the planning and development of distressed urban areas.  Her current focus with a rarity is the planning and development of a transformational, large scale multiphase project in Northville Adelphia they will involve development of up to 18,000,000 ft.² for and in the innovation community and an adjacent large scale sports environment entertainment center.  On this project, Billie is leading the effort to develop a controlled environment agriculture involving the indoor production of fresh produce for the local community, Temple University and occupants of the innovation community, as well as education, training and jobs for local residence. Billie is also leading the effort to include cultural facilities and operations, as well as the developers community inclusivity efforts.
Prior to her ready roll, Billie was the owner/operator of Fox Hill equestrian Center, and advanced level equestrian training center in Unionville Pennsylvania, and is currently the owner operator of Fox Hill Vineyards, a producer of premium Pennsylvania wines. In early career, Billy was a project associate on real estate projects in New York City, the most important of which was the Metrotech Center, 9, million square-foot technology center in downtown Brooklyn that’s for the renaissance in Brooklyn.  Billie is actively numerous arts, cultural and civic institutions in the Philadelphia area and serves on numerous committees of these organizations, and she sits on the board of the Pennsylvania ballet.  Billy holds a BA in business management from Boston University and MBA in marketing and finance from Columbia University.

Rachelle Friedman, Museum Board.  Rachelle was the President and Co-CEO of J&R Music and Computer World, which she and her husband, Joe, started in 1971 with their wedding money. Under her leadership, J&R expanded from a 500 square foot store in Lower Manhattan into the largest independently owned music, computer and electronics mega-store in the country. 
Rachelle is currently the CEO of Park Row Family Office and is developing 25 Park Row with L&M Developers into a 50 story luxury mixed use condo, office and retail complex. They are also developing 1 Park Row, a 26 story mixed used luxury building. 
Rachelle graduated from Polytechnic University in New York City (where she was one of three female students) with a degree in Chemistry and served as a member of its Board of Trustees. She was a Board Member (and member of the Executive Committee) of the Better Business Bureau of Greater New York, NYC & Company (the New York City Tourism Bureau), the Downtown Alliance of New York and the Regional Advisory Board of JPMorgan Chase. Rachelle was the longest serving Chairperson of the National Association of Recording Merchandisers. She has twice served on the Host Committee of the Grammy Awards. She has served on the Advisory Board of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and served on the National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress. The National Foundation for Women Business Owners has acknowledged Rachelle as one of the Top 50 Women Entrepreneurs in the World and Crain’s New York Business has listed J&R as one of the largest women-owned companies in New York and has named her one of New York’s 100 Most Influential Women in Business. Rachelle also currently sits on the board of ARChive of Contemporary Music.
Rachelle was a recipient of the 2001 “Touchstone Award” presented by Women in Music, Inc., and the Michael Award’s 2002 “Person of the Year” She was also one of United Cerebral Palsy of New York’s “Women Who Care” honorees and was honored with a “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the National Association of Women Business Owners and by the Guardian Angels as their “Role Model of the Year”.

Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, Museum Board. Dimitri is an entrepreneur, a  jewelry designer and a philanthropist. He founded the jewelry company bearing his name in 2007 after sixteen years as ADS Senior Vice President of Jewelry with Sotheby’s and later as head of Jewelry at Phillips de Pury & Luxembourg auction houses. Prince Dimitri’s collections have been sold at Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue. He has also designed collections for Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Asprey’s in London, and other American companies. Dimitri’s love of jewelry dates back to his childhood and to his unique heritage. His family members were the heads of European Royalty and they were closely tied together during an era of extreme opulence, beauty and culture all over Europe. Prince Dimitri is a descendant of Catherine the Great, Louis XIV, Charlemagne, the Medicis, the Greek, Danish, Italian, Belgian and Yugoslav royal families. His paternal great-great grandfather was the Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia, patron of the avant-garde, who spurred the creation of the Ballets Russes. His great-grandmother, Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia had inherited all of the diamonds belonging to her mother, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovnaof Russia. After the Russian Revolution some of this jewelry was acquired by Queen Mary of England and today it is worn by the present Queen, Elizabeth Il. Recognizing the privilege he was born into, Dimitri also strongly believes in the “ethics of sharing, compassion, of ‘giving back’…” and is involved with various boards, including Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education for Latin children living in the Bronx.

Susan Gutfreund, Museum Board.  Susan is an American socialite, philanthropist, interior decorator and wife of the late John Gutfreund, the “King of Wall Street.” A fixture in New York society, Susan is an authority on fashion and known for her exceptional style and appreciation for the exotic and the luxurious. Close friends with celebrated designers including Ralph Rucci and Karl Lagerfeld to name a few, many items from Susan’s vast collection of Couture designs can be found in the collections of institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Parsons, and the Museum at FIT.
A long-standing and recognized member of the philanthropic community, Susan has chaired numerous fundraising events is a member of the Metropolitan Museum European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, the Wrightsman Fellows. Susan currently sits on the board of Lifeline New York. She was also recently honored by Orpheus for her invaluable contributions to the foundation.

Carolina Herrera, Museum Board.  Since the launch of her eponymous label in 1981, Carolina Herrera has won international acclaim for her signature sophistication. The established designer has dressed high profile personalities such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Michelle Obama, and has also been featured on several “best dressed lists” in recognition of her inimitable personal style.
Throughout her decades-long career, Herrera has been presented with a series of industry accolades such as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the CFDA in 2008 and the Womenswear Designer of the Year award in 2004. Herrera is also a recipient of The International Centre in New York’s Award of Excellence and in 2002 was presented with Spain’s Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts by King Don Juan Carlos I. The celebrated designer had also previously been awarded a Gold Medal from the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute in 1997. Herrera served as a member of the board of directors of Mimi So, an international jewelry designer and also served as an ambassador for the American Cancer Society and the Intergovernmental Institution.

Joe Pacetti, Museum Board.  Joe is an inzdependent, internationally acclaimed jeweler with over 41 years of experience traveling worldwide, purchasing the finest gems and jewelry designs for his most discriminating high-end clientele. Joe has always felt the need to “heal the world” in whatever way(s) he can. He is passionate about the charitable causes he believes in and often engages his friends and clients to get involved, as well. Joe is active in many civics causes, having sat on the boards of the Turtle Creek Chorale, DIFFA Dallas, MCC’s Hope House, The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums; where he has had private audiences with the last three Popes, TACA Board of Governor’s and EXCAP’s Celebrity Waiter Committee.  Joe’s deep support for many awards charitable organizations has garnered him a number of and honors including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Dallas Red Foundation, and the Hero of Humanity Award from the Art of Living Foundation.

Marc Rosen, Museum Board. Internationally acclaimed designer, Marc Rosen, is known for his award winning fragrance, cosmetic, and beauty packaging.  A creative entrepreneur, he has been President of his own design firm Marc Rosen Associates for over 30 years. His foresight has established him as a leader in the fields of design, marketing, and public relations.
His vision has been inspired by colaborations with famous ‘beauty’ manufacturers and fashion names such as Coty, Revlon, Estee Lauder, Nina Ricci, Perry Ellis, Oscar de la Renta, Avon, Halston, Chloe, Proctor & Gamble, Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi, Bath & Body Works, Victoria’s Secret, Ellen Tracy, Burberrys, etc… Just prior to establishing his own firm in 1989, Mr. Rosen was Vice President , Corporate Design and Communications for Elizabeth Arden Global for over a decade.  In that role he was responsible for all corporate design, packaging, in-store merchandising and public relations. He is a seven time FiFi award winner.(the Oscars of the Fragrance Industry)
He has created four highly acclaimed museum exhibitions: “Cosmetic Packaging: A 20th Century Art Form” at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City. He co-chaired the Fragrance Foundation’s “Scents of Time” exhibit (1986-87) that traveled nationwide.  In September 2002 he created an exhibit entitled “Glass Houses” featuring his perfume bottle designs to celebrate the opening of Pratt Institute’s new graduate center in Manhattan. In 2017 he has honored with a retrospective of his career at the Nassau County Museum of Art. His designs are represented in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Musee de La Mode, Paris.
As further indication of the breadth of his experience, he has authored two books; ‘Glamour Icons’ and ‘Rubbing Shoulders.’  A Trustee Emeritus at Pratt Institute, he is also a Professor in their Graduate school.  He has had three full tuition scholarships endowed in his name as well as an Education Fund that supports an annual Design Symposium. 
Often quoted in the press (SMITHSONIAN, ELLE, ALLURE, WWD, THE NEW YORK TIMES) as a cosmetic and fragrance authority, he is a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University where he received a BFA, and an MS and Honorary Doctorate degree from Pratt Institute. 

Jackie Tucker, Museum Board. is an accomplished financial professional with over 15 years experience in traditional and alternative asset management and solutions. Jackie is currently a Director with UBS Bank, where she evaluates global operational risk. Prior to this role,
Jackie managed a consulting practice specializing in outsourced COO/CCO services to public/private institutions and high net worth investors. Preceding the creation of her consulting practice, Jackie was the COO of two boutique hedge funds, and sat on advisory committees with CEO’s from several of America’s larger tech companies, to assist in evaluating investment opportunities.  Head of Corporate Development for NCM Capital Management, Jackie in a quasi-venture capitalist role, evaluated and created business units complementary to the firm’s core institutional asset management business. Jackie traveled internationally evaluating prospective joint venture/acquisition opportunities and was sourced to sit on the planning committee of the Wall Street Project, a non-profit devoted to expanding economic opportunities and diversity within Corporate America. This landed Jackie in a series of plenary sessions at the White House to change Federal policy for the granting on 7A Private Equity Licenses.
Jackie has a background in economic development and worked with the New York City Economic Development Corp. executing upon directives from the Mayor’s and Treasurer’s Offices. Jackie found common touch points in interviewing investment managers, as she created the first public/private equity fund model in association with Venrock Ventures, the National Association of Investment Companies, and Morgan Stanley. Launched some 15 years ago, this fund still provides mezzanine private equity financing.
Jackie received her MBA in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business – Executive MBA Program, and has a BS in Accounting from Hampton University, where she was an AICPA Scholar. Jackie is the Founding Board Member of the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP), New York Chapter, and is affiliated with High Water Women, which assists children in underserved areas. Jackie also served as an Adjunct Finance/Statistics Professor, within the City of New York (CUNY- Baruch College) and the State of New York (SUNY) University Systems.

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