Manolo Blahnik White Patent Leather d'Orsay Pumps
View Similar Items
Manolo Blahnik White Patent Leather d'Orsay Pumps
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 9.5 (US)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU14728449512
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.
- Hermes Black Leather Strappy Wedge SandalsBy HermèsLocated in New York, NYProduct Details: Black leather strappy wedge sandals by Hermes. Gold-tone buckle closures at ankle straps. 1.5" platform height, 3.5" heel height. Designer Size: 40.5 US Recommended...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Sandals
$556 Sale Price20% Off - White & Beige Brunello Cucinelli Monilli-Trimmed Sneakers Size 37By Brunello CucinelliLocated in New York, NYWhite and beige leather and suede low-top sneakers by Brunello Cucinelli. Silver-tone Monilli trim at tops. Rubber soles. Lace-up tie closures at tops. 1" heel height.Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Shoes
- Silver & Beige Christian Louboutin Espadrille Wedges Size 40By Christian LouboutinLocated in New York, NYSilver canvas and beige jute espadrille wedge sandals by Christian Louboutin. 1" platform height, 4.5" heel height.Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Heels
- Navy & Beige Jimmy Choo Lace Pointed-Toe Pumps Size 36.5By Jimmy ChooLocated in New York, NYNavy and beige lace pointed-toe pumps by Jimmy Choo. 2.5" heel height.Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Heels
- Vintage Black Chanel Pointed Cap-Toe Pumps Size 40.5By ChanelLocated in New York, NYVintage black suede and patent leather pointed cap-toe pumps by Chanel. 2.5" heel height.Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Heels
- Black & White James Perse Wool High-Top SneakersBy James PerseLocated in New York, NYProduct Details: Black and white wool high-top sneakers by James Perse. Rubber soles. Lace-up tie closures at tops. 2.75" shaft height, 1.25" heel height. Designer Size: 38 US Recom...Category
2010s Shoes
$260 Sale Price20% Off
- Versace Jeans Couture White Baroque Print Gold Sneakers SZ 36 New in BoxBy Versace Jeans Couture, VersaceLocated 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
$204 Sale Price20% Off - 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
$299 Sale Price40% Off - Casadei Tricolor Suede And Leather Studded High Top Wedge Sneakers Size 39By CasadeiLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Comfy and high on style, these wedge sneakers by Casadei have been created to be flaunted. They feature a tricolor exterior made from leather, suede and patent leather and enhanced w...Category
2010s Italian Shoes