Manolo Blahnik Red Patent Open-Toe d'Orsay Pumps Sz 38 with Box
View Similar Items
Manolo Blahnik Red Patent Open-Toe d'Orsay Pumps Sz 38 with Box
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: 118927-11stDibs: LU2043633021
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.
- Cult Gaia Brown Eden Leather Sandals sz 36Located in New York, NYCult Gaia Brown Eden Leather Sandals sz 36 Made In: Brazil Hardware: Pale goldtone Materials: Leather & wood Closure/Opening: Adjustable buckle strap Overal...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Strap Sandals
- Chanel 2019 Printed PVC CC Logo Slides sz 40CBy ChanelLocated in New York, NYChanel 2019 Printed PVC CC Logo Slides sz 40C. Features beach theme print Made In: Italy Color: Black, white, beige Materials: Leather and PVC Closure/Opening: Slide on Overall Con...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Sandals
- Jacquemus Beige Leather Les Novio 95 Sandals sz 36 rt. $750By JacquemusLocated in New York, NYJacquemus Beige Les Novio 95 Sandals sz 36 Made In: Portugal Color: Beige Hardware: Pale goldtone Materials: Leather, canvas Closure/Opening: Two adjustable ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Sandals
- Miu Miu Nude/Black Cap Toe Patent Pumps W/ Bow Sz 38By Miu MiuLocated in New York, NYMiu Miu Nude/Black Cap Toe Patent Pumps W/ Bow Sz 38 Made In: Italy Color: Nude/black Materials: Patent leather Closure/Opening: Slide on Overall Condition: Very good pre-owned cond...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Heels
- Rene Caovilla Black/Grey/Gold High Heel Sandals W/ Crystals sz 40By René CaovillaLocated in New York, NYRene Caovilla Black/Grey/Gold High Heel Sandals W/ Crystals sz 40 Made In: Italy Color: Grey Hardware: Silvertone hardware Materials: Satin, crystals ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian High Heels
$225 Sale Price22% Off - Lanvin Black Suede Wedge Boots sz 36By Lanvin ParisLocated in New York, NYLanvin Black Suede Wedge Boots sz 36 Made In: Italy Year of Production: Color: Black Materials: Suede Closure/Opening: Slip on Overall Condition: ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Boots
- Vintage 1890's Cammeyer Couture Gold & Purple Leather Lace-Up Victorian BootsLocated in Beverly Hills, CABreathtaking and incredibly hard-to-find pair of Alfred J. Cammeyer antique couture made boots dating back to the 1890's era of fashion. The shoes can ...Category
1890s American Boots
- New Valentino Garavani Embellished Nude Suede Shoe Sandals It 38 - US 8By Valentino GaravaniLocated in Montgomery, TXNew Valentino Garavani Embellished Nude Suede Sandals Designer size 38 - US 8 Nude-tone Suede, Gold-tone Embellishment, Double Buckle at Ankle, Leather Sole and Lining. Heel Height -...Category
2010s Italian Sandals
- Tod’s Desert BootLocated in Los Angeles, CATod's Desert Boot Made in Italy Brown Suede Black textured rubber sole Black leather laces Padded heel collar Black grommets or laces Excellent like new condition; Preloved wi...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Boots
- SAINT LAURENT brown suede LEOPARD LACE UP Boots Shoes 40By Saint LaurentLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Saint Laurent lace-up knee-high boots in camel and espresso brown leopard print suede. Lined in espresso brown calfskin. Open with a zipper on the inside. Brand new. R...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Boots
- Chloe Tan Suede Harper Ankle BootsBy ChloéLocated in New York, NYProduct details: Tan suede round-toe Harper ankle boots by Chloe. Lace-up detailing at backs. Stacked heels. Zip closures at inner sides. Designer size 36. 3...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Shoes
$516 Sale Price20% Off - Valentino Rockstud Metallic Gold Cage Ankle Strap Low Heel ShoesBy ValentinoLocated in Portland, ORThese Valentino Garavani Rockstud pumps are in a metallic dark gold leather and they feature 3 ankle strap side buckle fastenings, a pointed toe, a branded insole and a low stiletto ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes