MANOLO BLAHNIK Pump Shoe OSTRICH classic with divine details
View Similar Items
MANOLO BLAHNIK Pump Shoe OSTRICH classic with divine details
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 38 (EU)
- Place of Origin:Italy
- Period:
- Condition:LIKE NEW.
- Seller Location:Miami, FL
- Reference Number:Seller: MANOLO BLAHNIK OSTRICH PUMP1stDibs: AU1003089835
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.
- Prada Shoe Brown and Black Suede Pump 39 / 9 NewBy PradaLocated in Miami, FLPrada suede pump in rich chocolate brown suede. Accentuated with Black suede toe cap and heel. Beautifully shaped cut and heel. SO chic. Comes with...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
- Chanel Shoe Platform Clog Limited Edition Jewel Hardware 40.5 / 10.5 NewBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLMightychic offers limited edition Chanel clog shoes. Beige linen with iconic cap toe. Jewel accent is detailed with cabochons in muted shades with matte gold. Tiny diamantes accentua...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Shoes
- Manolo Blahnik Shoe Vintage Pump Gray Satin and Tulle Diamante Detail 39 / 9By Manolo BlahnikLocated in Miami, FLGuaranteed authentic Manolo Blahnik pumps with diamante accent. Gray satin shoes covered with very fine tulle. The tone on tone effect gives the shoe a very rich and luxurious fini...Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- Maison Martin Margiela Men's Sneaker Gold Ombre Limited Edition 43By Maison Martin MargielaLocated in Miami, FLMightychic offers Maison Martin Margiela men's Limited Edition Ombre Gold numbered sneaker. Rare to find this fabulous Maison Martin Margiela snea...Category
2010s Shoes
- Martin Maison Margiela Men's Sneaker Graffiti Print 43By Maison Martin MargielaLocated in Miami, FLGuaranteed authentic Maison Martin Margiela men's graffiti print sneaker. Rare to find this fabulous Maison Martin Margiela sneaker is perfect for th...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Shoes
- Maison Martin Margiela Men's Sneaker Paint-Finish White 43By Maison Martin MargielaLocated in Miami, FLMaison Margiela men's white paint-finish sneaker. Rare to find this fabulous Maison Margiela sneaker is perfect for the summer season for a f...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Shoes
- EMPORIO ARMANI Size 9.5 Grey Taupe SneakersBy EMPORIO ARMANI EA7Located in San Francisco, CAEMPORIO ARMANI sneakers comes in a grey taupe suede leather featuring a low style, rubber sole, and a single buckle closure. Made in Spainches Very Good Pre- Owned Conditions. Mark...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Shoes
- Miu Miu Coral Ankle Strap Leather & Woven Straw Sandals Size 37By Miu MiuLocated in Portland, ORThese are great coral Miu Miu sandals with and ankle strap and gladiator look! The T strap and ankle straps are all in a beautiful coral color. They have a woven straw insole similar...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Sandals
- Stuart Weitzman Shoes Vintage Floral Print Fabric Peep-Toe Heels With Bow Size 7By Stuart WeitzmanLocated in Portland, ORThese are the cutest peep-toe Vintage shoes from Stuart Weitzman for Mr. Seymour! These fabulous 1980's shoes are so unique with their bold red, green, blue and yellow floral print f...Category
1980s Italian Shoes
- Christian Dior 2000s Neoprene Lucite Etoile PumpsBy Christian DiorLocated in Scottsdale, AZWe know you're wishing for these Dior pumps! Circa recent 2000s, these pumps are crafted from black neoprene and feature "Dior" at the heel, a pointed toe and a 4" asymmetrical lucite wedge heel with silver...Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- Vintage 1890's Cammeyer Couture Gold & Purple Leather Lace-Up Victorian BootsLocated in Beverly Hills, CABreathtaking and incredibly hard-to-find pair of Alfred J. Cammeyer antique couture made boots dating back to the 1890's era of fashion. The shoes can ...Category
1890s American Boots
- New 2000s Costume National Size 36 / 6 Brown Suede Leather Knee High Heel BootsBy Costume NationalLocated in San Diego, CAChic and timeless early 2000s never worn COSTUME NATIONAL Size 36 / US 6 brown suede high heel boots ! The perfect brown color that goes with anything. Great with jeans, a skirt, a d...Category
Early 2000s Italian Boots
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
How to Spot a Fake Hermès Birkin Bag
The iconic Birkin bag is much coveted — and often copied. Find out how to tell the real deal from a convincing fake. Of course, you don't have to worry about this on 1stDibs, where every seller is highly vetted.
This Iconic Hermès Bag Is Made from an Unexpected Material: Wood
From a house that specializes in covetable objects, this version of the Kelly is the rarest of finds.