Manolo Blahnik

Biography:

Manolo Blahnik, born on 27th November 1942, is the dazzling shoe designers of the high end world of fashion. He is well recognized as one of the splashing shoe designers of this world who sells 60,000-70,000 pairs of his shoe collections every year. Manolo Blahnik in his early days didn’t set shoe designing as his career. He was much interested in being a set designer for the theaters. But it was Diana Vreeland who motivated him to design shoes. Manolos then started designing shoes and gradually soared to the height of a well renowned shoe designer of the haute couture.

Manolo almost become a household name and also synonymous with his product. Even more significant is “manolo” is now used as slang to say very expensive and very beautiful shoes by millions of people who have never seen a pair of manolo blahnik shoes actually.

Company: Manolo is having two stores, one in London and the other in New York. However, his shoes sell worldwide at all department stores, with his shoes and boutiques. Manolo designed shoe collections for Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent, Emmanuel Ungaro, Fiorucci, Isaac Mizrahi and Bill Blass over years.

In Field Since: The thirst for erotic and extravagant shoes in vogue during 1970’s gave birth to this resplendent shoe designer. Manolo’s innovative craftsmanship embraced this new spirit and his shoe creations underlined this perfectly. In 1972, Manolo designed his first shoe collections that stealed the heart of many cognoscente.

Designs For: This flamboyant designer has adored the gleaming feet of many cognoscente. A few among them are Bianca Jagger, Princess Diana, Jackie Onassis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Winona Ryder, Ivana Trump, Jennifer Aniston, Bianca, Supermodel Linda Evangelista, Marge Simpson etc.

Popularity: Manolo has mastered the rudiments of shoe making. Absolutely Fabulous, a popular British Sitcom that broadcasted on BBC and Sex and the City,a famous TV show in HBO featured much of manolo’s shoes. And it is not a lie that Manolo Blahnik has become even more popular by the Sex and the City series. His shoe designs are a blend of sensuality with femininity that evokes a luxurious provocation. Manolo Blahnik wraps up Award from Fashion Council of America (1988), Balenciaga Award (1991), American Leather Award (1991) and Hispanic Institute Antonio Lopez Award (1991). British Fashion Council in 1990 and 1999 awarded him Named Accessory Designer of the Year. Royal London College of Art and the Royal Society of Arts of Britain honoured him with doctorates.In the year 2000, Blahnik received the Nieman Marcus Award, La Aguja de Oro (The Golden Needle) from Spain in 2001, and the prestigious Medalla de Oro en Merito en las Bellas Artes in 2002.

Nationality: A Spanish shoe designer but currently settled in Bath, England along with his 10,000 pairs (as he say ‘stupid shoes’)

What they say: You know how SJP feels about Manolo’s, and Linda and China are just as smitten. Linda has said that they are the most perfect and most beautiful creations. China has said that Manolo’s are sexy, magical and have so much personality and that they are like a glass slipper. Lisa Marie says it’s all about how Manolo’s make you feel – elegant, glamorous, refined. You can have on Manolos and nothing else and they are like jewelry for your feet, she coos. Madonna has said “they are better than sex - since they last longer”. Bianca Jagger wore them on a white horse in 1977 to Studio 54. Marge Simpson donned them in an episode of the Simpsons. Bianca Jagger, Princess Diana, Jackie Onassis and many other celebrities are all faithful lovers of manolo’s designs. Of course, he is well known to the ordinary shoe-wearing American girls.