Manolo Blahnik Olive Metallic Jeweled Heels - 38
View Similar Items
Manolo Blahnik Olive Metallic Jeweled Heels - 38
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:West Palm Beach, FL
- Reference Number:Seller: 2860-401stDibs: LU259240344
Manolo Blahnik
There may be no designer with as wide a breadth of references as the fashion and footwear icon Manolo Blahnik, whose stated sources of inspiration for the creation of his sublime shoes include — but are not limited to — Diana Vreeland, ancient Greece, 21st-century architecture, Spanish cinema and Piet Mondrian.
It’s a fittingly robust list for someone who has spent a lifetime in the self-described “pursuit of beauty.”
Born in 1942 in Spain’s Canary Islands, Blahnik had an early exposure to shoemaking: During World War II, his designer-shoe-loving mother enlisted a local cobbler to teach her to make her own footwear from available materials. The young Blahnik was intrigued.
After briefly studying law in Switzerland with the intention of becoming a diplomat, Blahnik moved to Paris, where he took a job in a vintage clothing shop while studying art at École des Beaux-Arts as well as set design at the art school of the Louvre. It wasn’t until years later, however, that he would realize his calling as a shoe designer. In the late 1960s, Blahnik relocated to London, where he worked for both the Sunday Times and Vogue. In the early 1970s, the renowned American Vogue editor Diana Vreeland saw his sketches and urged him to pursue footwear.
After a debut collection for celebrated fashion designer Ossie Clark — featuring models that Blahnik had gotten to know through his work in the fashion industry, among them Twiggy — received acclaim, he created footwear for illustrious dressmaker Jean Muir and apprenticed with professional shoemakers in London to perfect his craft. By 1973 he had bought out the shoe boutique Zapata and made it his own. Bloomingdale’s introduced him to the American market with a collection a few years later.
Vintage Manolo Blahnik shoes are famous for their theatricality, as the designer is well known for the whimsical, fantastical elements he brings to footwear, often in an explosive palette. “I have always approached color in a bold way, from all angles and variations,” he once said. “Always searching for the poetry of an impossible color.” Tack on teetering height as a trademark that took shape from early on.
“Those poor girls couldn’t walk properly, but people loved it,” the designer recalled of his early models. “Sir Cecil Beaton said to me, ‘Is this a new way of walking?’” To take it from pop culture, it indeed might have been: People are still talking about the night that Bianca Jagger dazzled, horseback, at Studio 54 in a Halston dress and Blahnik shoes on her 30th birthday, and, decades later, the footwear icon was rendered a household name during the long-running television series Sex and the City.
Today, Manolo Blahnik remains a virtual synonym for luxury shoes. Find a range of his footwear and handbags on 1stDibs.
- Manolo Blahnik Pink Lace Slides with Satin BowBy Manolo BlahnikLocated in West Palm Beach, FLManolo Blahnik pink lace slides with satin bow, size 37,with a 4 inch heelCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
- Prada Burlap and Snake Skin ShoesBy PradaLocated in West Palm Beach, FLPrada tan burlap and snake skin shoes. Heel 4", size 40.5Category
21st Century and Contemporary Shoes
- Jimmy Choo Purple and Coral Lizard Woven Slide Heels - 39By Jimmy ChooLocated in West Palm Beach, FLJimmy Choo Purple and Coral Lizard Woven Slides with Heels - 39. These slides are purple lizard-skin with single-woven strips. They are in excellent condition and show only minor wea...Category
21st Century and Contemporary English Shoes
- YSL Champagne Colored Satin Strappy Thick Straw Wedges - 41By Yves Saint LaurentLocated in West Palm Beach, FLYSL Champagne Colored Satin Strapped Thick Straw Wedge - 41. These thick, straw, wedges have metallic champagne colored satin straps interweaving on the top of the shoes. They are in...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Shoes
- Fendi Earth Tones Suede Cutout Multi Tone Open Toe Slingback Platform Heel - 41By FendiLocated in West Palm Beach, FLFendi Earth Tones Suede Cutout Multi Tone Open Toe Slingback Platform Heel - 41. These beautiful shoes are in good condition with noticeable ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
- Jimmy Choo Rose Gold Sparkly Slingback Heel 40.5By Jimmy ChooLocated in West Palm Beach, FLJimmy Choo Rose Gold Sparkly Slingback Heel 40.5. These beautifully elegant shoes are in good condition with only some noticeable wear on the sole and on the top of the heel. They...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
- Donna Karan Suede Ankle Wrap Sandals 1990's Size 6.5By Donna KaranLocated in Los Angeles, CA1990's Donna Karan Suede Flats Open Toe Ankle Wrap Suede self covered slight wedge Size 6.5, fits true Bottom shows wear, upper in good condition, minor wear Made in ItalyCategory
Late 20th Century Italian Shoes
- Christian Dior Blush Satin and Black Lace High Heel Ankle Strap Shoes Size 7By Christian DiorLocated in Philadelphia, PABEAUTIFUL Christian Dior satin and lace ankle strap heels in very good condition. Blush satin body with black lace trim upon heels and toes. Open...Category
Early 2000s Shoes
- Pair of Art Noveau Antique Sterling Silver Shoe Buckles c1890 by William KerrLocated in valatie, NYPair of Art Noveau Antique Sterling Silver Shoe Buckles c1890 by William Kerr. The buckles are oval and the fronts have engraved decoration, with a ...Category
Late 19th Century American Shoes
- Christian Louboutin Chinese Dragon HeelsBy Christian LouboutinLocated in Scottsdale, AZElevate your look with these amazing Louboutin heels! Circa 2000s, these heels are crafted from teal/rich red suede and gold metallic leather to form a Chinese dragon motif. Dragon f...Category
2010s French Shoes
- Gold Prada Pointed-Toe Patent Pumps Size 38By PradaLocated in New York, NYGold pointed-toe patent leather pumps by Prada. Silver-tone buckle adornments at tops. 3" heel height.Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Shoes
$156 Sale Price20% Off - Manolo Blahnik Vintage Pink and Blue Striped Suede Pump Size 40By Manolo BlahnikLocated in Thousand Oaks, CAUnique, vintage, rare multi colored vintage style Manolo Blahnik pumps with pointed toe and ankle strap. multi colored pink, green, and blue. Size 40 Heel: 11 cm (4.3 inches) Hand M...Category
1980s Shoes
$472 Sale Price30% Off