MANOLO BLAHNIK white leather CORAL BEADED Flat Thong Sandals Shoes 36.5
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Zürich, CH
- Reference Number:
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Zürich, Switzerland
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- RENE CAOVILLA black & gold RHINESTONE EMBELLISHED Flat Sandals Shoes 36.5By René CaovillaLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic René Caovilla rhinestone embellished thong flats in metallic grey and champagne calfskin. Close with a buckle on the side. Brand new. Come with dust bag. Measurement...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Shoes
- NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD metallic pewter BEYA Block Heel Pumps Shoes 42By NICHOLAS KIRKWOODLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Nicholas Kirkwood Beya block heel pumps in grey metallic grained leather with a pointed-toe. Have been worn and are in excellent condition. Come with dust bag. Rubber ...Category
2010s Shoes
- MALONE SOULIERS white lace MAUREEN Ballet Flats Shoes 38.5By Malone SouliersLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Malone Souliers's for my Theresa Maureen point-toe ballet flats made from white floral lace and the label's customary double-strap design in white leather. Brand new. ...Category
2010s Shoes
- HERMES petrol leather & ecru canvas LTD ED JUMPING Knee High Flat Boots Shoes 40By HermèsLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Hermès 'Jumping Limited Edition' Boots in cobalt blue (petrol) box leather and oatmeal Toile H fabric. Brand new. Come with box and dust bag. Measurements Imprinted ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Shoes
- CHURCH'S white glazed leather KARA Loafers Flats Shoes 39.5By Church'sLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Church's Kara loafers in white glazed leather. Have been worn once inside and shows a very soft darker spot on the inside of the right heel. Overall in virtually new c...Category
2010s Shoes
- BOTTEGA VENETA white leather PADDED QUILTED BLOCK SQUARE TOE Pumps Shoes 39By Bottega VenetaLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Bottega Veneta Padded Bloc pumps are rendered in white quilted leather that’s a play on the house’s signature Intrecciato weave – ...Category
2010s Shoes
- Versace Jeans Couture White Baroque Print Gold Sneakers SZ 36 New in BoxBy Versace, Versace Jeans CoutureLocated in PUTNEY, NSWLow top, lace-up sneakers with a chunky sole. The design from the Stargaze line boasts the Regalia Baroque print. Regalia Baroque print Low top lace-up Chunky sole Outer fabric: 70%...Category
2010s European Heels
- New Nike x Louis Vuitton "Air Force 1" Sneakers by V. Abloh in white and blueBy Louis VuittonLocated in Paris, IDFUltra Limited Series / Nike x Louis Vuitton collaboration by Virgil Abloh Originally designed by Nike in 1982, the Louis Vuitton "Air Force 1" are the first sneakers made outside the Nike factory. Coming from the streetwear community, Men's Artistic Director Virgil Abloh (1980-2021) considered the Nike Air Force 1 as a cultural symbol in its own right. Today, two icons merge to create the most authentic high-end sneakers. A cultural symbol in its own right, the Air Force 1 is elevated to an art object by Virgil Abloh. For the Spring-Summer 2022 collection, Virgil Abloh has imagined a collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Nike to create 9 exclusive editions of "Air Force 1" sneakers. Each model embodies the synthesis between classic codes of the original shoe, noble materials and signature emblems of the House. The Louis Vuitton x Nike...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Boots
- Gianni Versace snakeskin and Persian lamb platform sandals, fw 1999By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace platform sandals ▪ White snakeskin heel, platform and ankle straps ▪ Grey Persian lamb strap ▪ Size European 37 ▪ Fall-Winte...Category
1990s Italian Shoes
- Balenciaga Grey/Silver Leather And Fabric Race Runner Low Top Sneakers Size 37By BalenciagaLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Let your latest shoe addition be this pair of Race Runner sneakers from Balenciaga. These silver sneakers have been crafted from leather And fabric and...Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- Fendi Multicolor Zucca Canvas and Leather Bow Slide Sandals Size 37.5By FendiLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2From the house of Fendi, these sandals are tastefully designed. This classic pair in Zucca coated canvas and leather will match well with almost all your outfits. The slide sandals f...Category
2010s Italian Sandals
- Prada Two Tone Purple Leather Wave Ankle Strap Sandals Size 37By PradaLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2These sandals from Prada are a perfect blend of fashion and comfort! These two-toned purple sandals are crafted from leather and feature an open-toe sil...Category
2010s Italian High Heels