Manolo Blahnik Black Satin Strappy Heels - 36.5
About the Item
- Designer:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:West Palm Beach, FL
- 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: West Palm Beach, FL
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Fendi Denim Slides with Multi-Colored Embroidered and Beaded Design - 7MBy FendiLocated in West Palm Beach, FLFendi Denim Slides with Multi-Colored Embroidered and Beaded Design - 7M. These slides have a square toe shape and a band over the top of the foot. The band is denim colored and has ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
- Salvatore Ferragamo Brown Patent and Green Snake Loafers - 5By Salvatore FerragamoLocated in West Palm Beach, FLThese Salvatore Ferragamo loafers are brown patent leather with green snake skin. They have brown stitching and are a size 5. They are in excellent c...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
- YSL Champagne Colored Satin Strappy Thick Straw Wedges - 41By Yves Saint LaurentLocated in West Palm Beach, FLYSL Champagne Colored Satin Strapped Thick Straw Wedge - 41. These thick, straw, wedges have metallic champagne colored satin straps interweaving on the top of the shoes. They are in...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Shoes
- Jimmy Choo Purple and Coral Lizard Woven Slide Heels - 39By Jimmy ChooLocated in West Palm Beach, FLJimmy Choo Purple and Coral Lizard Woven Slides with Heels - 39. These slides are purple lizard-skin with single-woven strips. They are in excellent condition and show only minor wea...Category
21st Century and Contemporary English Shoes
- Jimmy Choo Shimmery Silver Slingback Heels with Bedazzlement - 37By Jimmy ChooLocated in West Palm Beach, FLJimmy Choo Shimmery Silver Slingback Heels with Bedazzlement - 37. These heels have a shimmery silver color. On the slingback, there is a rhinestone ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
- Chanel Denim Heels with Grommets and Ankle Strap - 36.5By ChanelLocated in West Palm Beach, FLChanel Denim Heels with Grommets and Ankle Strap - 36.5. These sandals have a demin fabric look to them. They have bronze colored grommets on the ankle str...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
- Louis VuittonGold/ Brown Monogram Canvas EpadrilleBy Louis VuittonLocated in Bilbao, ESLouis Vuitton Gold/ Brown Monogram Canvas and Patent Leather Bahamas T Strap Espadrille Made In: Italy Color: Brown Size: 39 The espadrilles wedges are fin...Category
Early 2000s French Shoes
- Platform Sandals Stella McCartney Cotton and Patent Leather Sandals with WoodenBy Stella McCartneyLocated in Bilbao, ESPlatform Sandals Stella McCartney Cotton and Patent Leather Sandals with Wooden Heel Made In: Italy Color: Black Materials: Cotton and Patent Leather Marked Size: 39,5 Europe Heel ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Shoes
- 1980s Mario Valentino Black Suede Knee BootsBy Mario ValentinoLocated in Toronto, Ontario1980s Mario Valentino black suede knee high boots with whipstitch detail. The boots have an almond shaped toe box and a low to mid height block heel. Pirate inspired, the gorgeous bo...Category
1980s Italian Shoes
- DIOR Fusion Sneakers By Raf Simmons in Dark Blue Canvas Size 38.5FRBy Raf Simons for Christian DiorLocated in Paris, FRFlagship model of the year 2014, by Raf Simmons, pair of sneakers DIOR, Fusion model, in dark blue canvas without lace. Size 38.5. The sole is in blue rubber. Beads flowers are embroidered on the canvas. They are in very good condition and have been worn only once. These blue DIOR sneakers...Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- A Roger Vivier Pair of Evening Heels Shoes Circa 2000By Roger VivierLocated in Toulon, FRCirca 2000 France Pair of evening pumps as new by Roger Vivier in black silk satin dating from the year 2000. Shoes with stiletto heel with pointed shape in front, decorated with a ...Category
Early 2000s French Heels
- Balenciaga Stretch Knit Knife Boot Black 36 FRBy BalenciagaLocated in DOUBLE BAY, NSWBrand: Balenciaga Product: Stretch Knit Knife Bootie Size: 36 Fr Colour: Black Heel: 11 Cm Material: Stretch Knit: 65% Viscose, 30% Polyammide, 5% Elastan Condition: Pri...Category
2010s Shoes