Manolo Blahnik Black Hat Box Purse
View Similar Items
Manolo Blahnik Black Hat Box Purse
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:Spain
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU147219360912
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.
- Periwinkle Chanel Patent Cap-Toe Ballet Flats Size 36.5By ChanelLocated in New York, NYPeriwinkle patent leather cap-toe ballet flats by Chanel. CC logo embroidery and bow accents at tops. 3.5" heel height. Designer Size: 36.5 US Recommended Size: 6.5Category
21st Century and Contemporary Shoes
- Grey & Multicolor Louis Vuitton 'The World Is Yours' Motif Silk ScarfBy Louis VuittonLocated in New York, NYGrey and multicolor 'The World Is Yours' motif print silk scarf by Louis Vuitton. 35" width, 35" length.Category
21st Century and Contemporary Scarves
- Brown Prada Studded Leather BeltBy PradaLocated in New York, NYBrown leather studded belt by Prada. Gold-tone hardware. Buckle closure. 1.75" height, 54" length.Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Belts
- Green & Multicolor Les Rubans du Cheval Motif Silk ScarfBy HermèsLocated in New York, NYGreen and multicolor Les Rubans du Cheval motif silk scarf by Hermes. 34" width, 34" length.Category
2010s Scarves
- Light Blue & Multicolor Hermes Peuple du Vent Cashmere & Silk 140 ScarfBy HermèsLocated in New York, NYLight blue and multicolor cashmere and silk Peuple du Vent motif print 140 scarf by Hermes. 55" width, 53.5" length.Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Scarves
- Brown Prada Leather Dress Shoes Size 37.5By PradaLocated in New York, NYBrown leather dress shoes by Prada. Elasticized gores at sides. Stacked heels. 1.5" heel height.Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Shoes
$120 Sale Price20% Off
- DOLCE & GABBANA 90'S Iconic Stretched Long GlovesBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Milano, MILANO90's iconic stretched jersey long gloves by Dolce & Gabbana. The composition tag is missing, seems to be made of wool.Category
1990s Gauntlets
- Black Beaded Doeskin Velvet Evening Forearm Gauntlet Gloves - Small, 1950sBy FownesLocated in Tucson, AZThough they serve a practical purpose, gloves can also be an opportunity to express your personal style. To wit, these velvety evening gloves feature a demure line of seed beads from...Category
1950s American Gloves
- Saddle Tan Suede Three-Point Flared Gauntlet Forearm Gloves, France - S, 1960sLocated in Tucson, AZYour go-to glove for work, dress and play, guaranteed to be in your handbag throughout the winter. Buttery and supple, in the perfect shade of Hermès saddle tan. Saddle suede forear...Category
1960s French Gloves
- Torso Creations Long Silk Floral Gauntlets w/ Dramatic Balloon Puff DetailBy Torso CreationsLocated in Gresham, ORFabulous Torso Creations long floral silk gauntlets with a dramatic balloon flourish at upper arm. Constructed of beautiful moire "watered" silk from the 195...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Gauntlets
- Torso Creations Black & White Shirt-Sleeve Gauntlets W/ Organza Ruffles & LaceBy Torso CreationsLocated in Gresham, ORTorso Creations black and white shirt-sleeve gauntlets created with shirt-sleeves embellished with black and white organza ruffle, satin and lace. Elasticized at top, with button cuf...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Gauntlets
- Yves Saint Laurent New Suede Gauntlet GlovesBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Geneva, CHBeautiful never worn 80’s YSL fuchsia gloves trimmed in matching leather diagonal stitching. Both gloves was linked by the original sealing thread. "Yves S...Category
1980s French Gauntlets