Manolo Blahnik Red Alligator High Heel Pumps Size 6.5-7
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Philadelphia, PA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU10421452063
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: Philadelphia, PA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- 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
- Vintage Judith Leiber Orange Lizard ClutchBy Judith LeiberLocated in Philadelphia, PAVintage Judith Leiber Orange Lizard Clutch in good condition. orange lizard leather trimmed with gold hardware and multi color gemstones along to...Category
1980s Clutches
- Christian Dior Woven Leather Orange Lady Dior Avenue ToteBy Christian DiorLocated in Philadelphia, PAChristian Dior Woven Leather Orange Lady Dior Avenue Tote in excellent condition. Orange woven lambskin leather trimmed with silver hardware and match...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags
- RARE Hermes Tangerine Orange Shiny Niloticus Lizard Leather Kelly 25cm SellierLocated in Philadelphia, PARARE Hermes Tangerine Orange Shiny Niloticus Lizard Leather 25cm Kelly Bag in very good condition. Rare, limited edition, tangerine orange shiny niloti...Category
Early 2000s Top Handle Bags
- Limited Edition Louis Vuitton Monogram Sequin Eclipse BeltBy Louis VuittonLocated in Philadelphia, PALimited Edition Louis Vuitton Monogram Sequin Eclipse Belt in excellent condition. Signature monogram LV canvas trimmed with black sequins throughout. Golden brass buckle engraved with Louis Vuitton. Black lambskin leather back lining. 90cm size. Perfect for men and women. No stains smells major scuffs or signs of use. 5 belt holes for adjustability. Rare limited edition design no longer made or sold in stores. purchase includes dust cover. Louis vuitton made in france stamp...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Belts
- Chanel Sheer Pink Silk ScarfBy ChanelLocated in Philadelphia, PAChanel Sheer Pink Silk Scarf in excellent condition. Pale pink with dark pink, grey, white and blue abstract print. Chanel printed on each side. No stains...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Scarves
- 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
- Vintage Salvatore Ferragamo Ombre Green & Yellow Slingback ShoesBy Salvatore FerragamoLocated in Portland, ORThese are vintage Salvatore Ferragamo ombre shoes with mottled chunky heels. These unique shoes have grosgrain fabric toe boxes in ombre sh...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Shoes
- Louis Vuitton Sandals Reds Calf Leather 5 Inch Wood Heels Size Euro 38, Like NewBy PradaLocated in New York, NYLouis Vuitton Sandals Reds Calf Leather 5 Inch Wood Heels Size Euro 38, Like New Main color Red Material Calf Leather Serial # CL 0098 Maximum W...Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- Louis Vuitton Men's US 8 Virgil Abloh Orange Tattoo High Top Sneaker 10lk630sBy Louis VuittonLocated in Dix hills, NYDate Code/Serial Number: LD1210 Made In: Italy Measurements: Length: 11.5" Width: 3.8" Height: 5.75" OVERALL NEW CONDITION ( 10/10 or N ) Men's LV 8 or US 9 Accessories: Bag, Dus...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Shoes
- Bottega Veneta beije and orange leather sandalsBy Bottega VenetaLocated in Capri, ITBottega Veneta beije and orange leather sandals totally made in italy in size 37 unworn still with boxCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
- Sergio Rossi Snakeskin ShoesBy Sergio RossiLocated in Bilbao, ESSergio Rossi Snakeskin Women High Heel Shoes Super High Stiletto Heels Red Made In: Italy Color: Red Material: Snackeskin Marked Size: 39,5 Europe Heel Height: 12 cm/ 4,72 inches B...Category
1990s Italian Shoes