Manolo Blahnik black ballet flats
View Similar Items
Manolo Blahnik black ballet flats
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: FR 40.5 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:leather
- Condition:
- Seller Location:San Fransisco, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU812502603
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.
- Simone Rocha black patent slide sandals with faceted clear Chandelier heelsBy Simone RochaLocated in San Fransisco, CAJet- black patent slide sandals with faceted clear 'chandelier' heels designed by Simone Rocha. Euro size 41. Insoles measure approximately: 10.75"...Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- 1980's AZZEDINE ALAIA woven purple leather heels with ankle straps - newBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in San Fransisco, CAPurple, woven leather heels with ankle straps designed by Azzedine Alaia dating to the 1980's. French size 41. Insoles measure approximately: 10.75" long by 3.33" wide with 4" heels....Category
1980s French Shoes
- 1990's YVES SAINT LAURENT pony fur and leather heelsBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in San Fransisco, CASpotted pony fur and jet black leather heels from Yves Saint Laurent dating to the 1990's. Labeled a size 7 however these best fit a modern US 6.5. Heels measure approximately 2.5". ...Category
1990s Italian Shoes
- DRIES VAN NOTEN reptile leather shoes with lucite heels - 41By Dries van NotenLocated in San Fransisco, CAVery rare reptile leather shoes with lucite heels designed by Dries Van Noten. French size 41. Approximate measurements: (insole) 10.5" by 3.5" with 4.75" heels. Adjustable buckle cl...Category
Early 2000s Italian Shoes
- 1990's AZZEDINE ALAIA green suede ankle bootsBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in San Fransisco, CAGreen suede stiletto ankle boots with almond shaped toe from Azzedine Alaia dating to the 1990's. Size 40 (approximately fits a modern US 9-9.5). Inside zips. Composed entirely of le...Category
Late 20th Century French Shoes
- 1980's YVES SAINT LAURENT woven sandals with sculpted heels - 10By Yves Saint LaurentLocated in San Fransisco, CABrown woven sandals with sculpted leather wrapped heels designed by Yves Saint Laurent dating to the 1980's. Labeled a size 10. Approximate measuremen...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Shoes
- Alexander McQueen Black Velvet Embroidered Armadillo Curved Wedge Pumps Size 40By Alexander McQueenLocated in New York, NYAlexander McQueen Black Velvet Embroidered Armadillo Curved Wedge Pumps Size 40 Condition is new without original box.Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- Lanvin High Style New Sandals, 2011By Lanvin ParisLocated in Water Mill, NYSigned and Dated 2011 Lanvin High Style New Sandals in Original Box and Dust Bag..sizes are shown bellowCategory
20th Century Italian Shoes
- Valentino Suede and Fox BootBy ValentinoLocated in Water Mill, NYValentino Suede, Fox and Silk Ribbon Black 4.5" Heel BootsCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
- Salvatore Ferragamo Vintage Black Evening SandalsBy Salvatore FerragamoLocated in Water Mill, NYSalvatore Ferragamo Vintage Black Silk Evening Sandals size 9.5 R 4.5' healCategory
Late 20th Century Italian Shoes
- NEW GUCCI 1990 camel suede Platform PumpsBy GucciLocated in Genève, CH-Suede leather -Camel color -Block heels -125 mm heel -Sold with dustbag and box -New condition -Size 40 FRCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
$341 Sale Price20% Off - 2000s Prada summer ankle boot in perforated leatherBy PradaLocated in Milano, IT2000s Prada summer ankle boot in perforated leather, open toe, heel in excellent condition MEASURES Size USA: 9 Size IT: 39 1/2 Heels: 12 CMCategory
Early 2000s Italian Shoes
$263 Sale Price20% Off