Manolo Blahnik Pointed Toe
View Similar Items
Manolo Blahnik Pointed Toe
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 38.5 (EU)
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Bridgehampton, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: 831-841stDibs: LU20123546111
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.
- Nicole Miller Women´s Gold and Black Jumper Size 6By Nicole MillerLocated in Bridgehampton, NYNicole Miller Women´s Gold and Black Jumper Size 6 Spandex With Old Gold-Loke Top, Black Botton, Cut OutCategory
21st Century and Contemporary American Jumpers
- Malini Ramani Extensive Feathers Dress Size SLocated in Bridgehampton, NYMalini Ramani Feathers and Shells Dress, Beads at Neck with Pom pom, sequins Trim Bottom Size SCategory
21st Century and Contemporary American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Yves Saint Laurent Women´s Brown SkirtBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Bridgehampton, NYYves Saint Laurent Women´s Brown Skirt with Side Slit, High Front and Long BackCategory
21st Century and Contemporary French Shirts
- M Missoni Knit Sleeveless Bright Colors Size 2By M MissoniLocated in Bridgehampton, NYM Missoni Knit Dress Size 6 US Sleeveless Bright Colors Excellent Condition, Very stretchy, good for all shapes.Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Classic Chanel Black Wool Skirt Size 34By ChanelLocated in Bridgehampton, NYClassic Chanel Black Wool Skirt with Two Pockets, Mid-Length, Back Zip and Two Front Pockets - Size 34Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Skirts
- 3.1 Phillip Lim Navy and White Pinstripe Dress Size 0By 3.1 Phillip LimLocated in Bridgehampton, NY3.1 Phillip Lim pinstripe navy/white dress in excellent used condition. Size 0. Super cute drapey/ruffle detail.Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Day Dresses
- Chanel Black and White Patent Leather Cage Peep Toe Booties Shoes Size 41 or 11By ChanelLocated in Tustin, CAHard to find size 11 or 41, Chanel Black and White Patent Leather Cage Peep Toe Booties Shoes from the Spring 2015 runway collection of the legendary luxury brand Chanel. These edgy...Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- 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 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
- Louis Vuitton Suede Perforated ShoesBy Louis VuittonLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLPurposely created to exude style and provide comfort wherever you go, this pair of loafers by Louis Vuitton is absolutely worth the buy! They have been finely crafted from perforated...Category
Early 2000s French Shoes
- SAINT LAURENT Farrah Star Platform SandalsBy Saint LaurentLocated in Berlin, BEThe most incredible 1970s inspired platform sandals by Saint Laurent with star embellishment. The model is Farrah. These rare platform sandals are the perfect statement shoe! These...Category
2010s French Sandals