Black & Clear Manolo Blahnik Sparkle Slingback PumpsProduct details: Clear and
View Similar Items
Black & Clear Manolo Blahnik Sparkle Slingback PumpsProduct details: Clear and
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 8 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU14725066653
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.
- N21 Navy Velvet Ruffle-Accented Ankle BootsLocated in New York, NYProduct Details: Navy velvet ankle boots by N21. Ruffle accents at tops. Block heels. Zip closures at counters. 2" heel height. Designer Size: 37.5 US Recommended Size: 7.5 Conditi...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Ankle Boots
- Roger Vivier Tan & Multicolor Giraffe Print Ponyhair SandalsBy Roger VivierLocated in New York, NYProduct Details: Tan, brown, and black giraffe print ponyhair sandals by Roger Vivier. Stacked heels. Peg-in-hole closures at ankle straps. 4" heel height. Designer Size: 36.5 US Re...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Sandals
$148 Sale Price20% Off - Rick Owens Black Suede Bootie PumpsBy Rick OwensLocated in New York, NYProduct Details: Black suede bootie pumps by Rick Owens. Stacked platforms. 3.75" shaft height, 3.75" heel height, 0.875" platform height. Designer Size: 35 US Recommended Size: 5 ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Central American Heels
$196 Sale Price20% Off - Dolce & Gabbana Wine Velvet Buckle PumpsBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in New York, NYProduct details: Wine velvet pumps by Dolce & Gabbana. Gold-tone buckle accents at toes. 3.5" heel height. Designer Size: 37 US Recommended Size: 7 Condi...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Shoes
- Hermes Black Leather Knee-High Riding BootsBy HermèsLocated in New York, NYProduct details: Black leather knee-high riding boots by Hermes. Stacked heels. Zip closures at outer sides. Designer size 36. 1.25" heel height, 14" shaft height. Condition: Pre-own...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Shoes
$660 Sale Price20% Off - Black Chanel Quilted Pointed-Toe FlatsBy ChanelLocated in New York, NYProduct Details: Black quilted leather pointed-toe ballet flats by Chanel. 0.5" heel height. Designer Size: 37.5 US Recommended Size: 7.5 Condition: Pre-owned. Good. Moderate scuff...Category
1990s French Shoes
- Salvatore Ferragamo Sculpted Heel Sandal Black (39 EU)By Salvatore FerragamoLocated in Montreal, QuebecCrafted from leather, these buckle-fastened pair have been designed with multiple straps that make for a chic see through look. This style set favourite creates exquisite footwear in...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Heels
- Saint Laurent Animal Print Pony Hair Bootie 596231 (EU 38.5)By Saint LaurentLocated in Montreal, QuebecCOLOR: Black and beige MATERIAL: Leather and pony hair ITEM CODE: 596231 SIZE: 38.5 EU / 7.5 US HEEL HEIGHT: 85 mm / 3.4” CONDITION: New COMES WITH: Dust bag and box Made in ItalyCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Heels
- Atelier Versace Black Satin Sling Backs, Never Worn Size 7By Atelier VersaceLocated in Buchanan, MIAtelier Versace Black Satin Sling Backs, Never Worn Size 7Category
20th Century Italian High Heels
- Atelier Versace Black Satin High Heels, Never Worn Size 7By Atelier VersaceLocated in Buchanan, MIAtelier Versace Black Satin High Heels, Never Worn Size 7Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian High Heels
- Atelier Versace Black Satin Sling Backs, Never Worn Size 7By Atelier VersaceLocated in Buchanan, MIAtelier Versace Black Satin Sling Backs, Never Worn Size 7Category
20th Century Italian High Heels
- Atelier Versace Black Leather High Heels, Never Worn Size 7By Atelier VersaceLocated in Buchanan, MIAtelier Versace Black Leather High Heels, Never Worn Size 7Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian High Heels