Blahnik Has His Own Unique Style, but He Is an Innovator Too

Manolo Blahnik is one of only a handful of designers whose name is synonymous with their product. Indeed, for many, ‘Manolos’ are the holy grail of footwear. James Davenport follows in the footsteps of a master craftsman. foot fetish hat do Bianca Jagger, Sarah-Jessica Parker and Marge Simpson all have in common? The simple answer: Manolo Blahnik. From Bianca Jagger wearing a pair of Manolos for her winfamous entrance to Studio 54 to Blahnik addict Carrie Bradshaw in ‘Sex & the City’ to the sight of Marge Simpson sporting a pair of Manolo mules in an episode of ‘The Simpsons’, Manolo Blahnik’s creations have attained cult status and are genuine icons of contemporary culture. This achievement is all the more remarkable given that Blahnik, a demanding perfectionist of the old school, is solely responsible for the design and prototype of every shoe bearing his name. Working alone without assistants, he personally oversees the entire design process, from sketching the shoes to chiselling the wooden lasts on which they are moulded to sculpting the heels. Born in 1942 in Santa Cruz de la Palma in the Canary Islands, Manolo Blahnik was brought up on a banana plantation owned by his Czech father and Spanish mother and educated at home with his younger sister Evangelina. His parents hoped he would become a diplomat, but in 1965, after a couple of terms studying in Geneva, he left for Paris to study art, making ends meet by working at GO, a vintage clothes store on rue de Bonaparte. After a few years in Paris, he relocated to London, where he made a living working in boutiques and taking occasional design jobs. The turning point came when Blahnik, flirting with the idea of becoming a stage set designer, took a portfolio of drawings to New York in 1971, in the hope of finding work. During his stay, he was introduced by his friend Paloma Picasso to Diana Vreeland, the then editor-in-chief of US Vogue. After taking a BLAHNIK HAS HIS OWN UNIQUE STYLE, BUT HE IS AN INNOVATOR TOO 54 look at his sketches, Vreeland suggested he ‘should concentrate on the funny little things on the feet’. Taking the advice to heart, Blahnik began designing men’s shoes for Zapata, a boutique on Old Church Street in London’s Chelsea, but found them creatively limiting. In 1972 he got his first big break when fashion designer Ossie Clark asked him to design the shoes for his next women’s wear collection. While Blahnik was not yet the master craftsman he is today, the shoes made an immediate impact and attracted a lot of attention. He was soon collaborating with other fashion designers, including Jean Muir and Elio Fiorucci. By now, his shoes at Zapata were much sought after by the likes of Vogue editor Grace Coddington, Jane Birkin and Charlotte Rampling, and it was not long before he borrowed £2000 to buy out Zapata’s owner. In 1979, Blahnik opened his first US store on New York’s Madison Avenue, though it was not until the early 1980s that the business really took off. During this period, he also collaborated with a number of big-name fashion designers, including Calvin Klein, Isaac Mizrahi and John Galliano. As with all great designers, Blahnik has his own unique style, but he is an innovator too. In the 1970s, he rejected the clumpy platforms of the day in favour of sleek stiletto heels, a look that has since been recognised as a classic. Years later, he adapted the rustic Mediterranean mules of his childhood to fit in with his trademark light, feminine look, creating a timeless fashion staple in the process. However, Blahnik aficionados should not expect to see his name gracing other products any time soon. After all these years, he remains totally focused on footwear: ‘I hate those designers that branch out into eyewear and homewear and jeanswear, and all that. I make shoes and I have no interest whatsoever in doing anything else.’ .

Load more