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.
rare MANOLO BLAHNIK Kurung Dorsay multicolor boucle tweed court pumps EU37
By Manolo Blahnik
Located in Hong Kong, NT
rare MANOLO BLAHNIK Kurung Dorsay multicolor boucle tweed leather court pumps EU37 Reference: MELK/A00358 Brand: Manolo Blahnik Material: Tweed, Leather Color: Black, Multicolour Pa...
Manolo Blahnik Vintage Houndstooth Bow Pointed Toe Mules Sandals 38.5
By Manolo Blahnik
Located in Mechanicsville, VA
Manolo Blahnik Vintage Houndstooth Bow Pointed Toe Mules Sandals 38.5 Color Black White Size 38.5 Heel Height 2.25in Leather upper Leather sole Kitten heel Pointed toe Leather bow ...
Missoni Slingback Heel Pump Multi Colored Knit Italy Size 9
By Missoni
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Missoni Slingback Pump. A stunning Slingback heel pump with endless wearability. Missoni classic zig zag patterned Slingback heels multicolor. MISSSONI 90's Multi Colored Knit Printed fabric. Knit Missoni Signature Zig Zag Pattern Upper With Brown Leather Heel Bottoms. Missoni Brand. Made In Italy. Features the signature chevron zig zag patterns. The condition of the pair is good showing little wear. The material of the pair is textile and leather. Color of the pair is a combination of green, black, pink, turquoise in Zig Zag Missoni textile signature. Size of the pair is IT 39.5. US 9. These fabric patterned vintage heels...
Gucci Baby Horsebit Ken Scott Garden Checkered Platform Heels Pumps 37.5
By MAURIZIO GUCCI
Located in Mechanicsville, VA
Gucci Baby Bit Platform Heeled Pumps Color Red / Ivory Size 37.5EU Leather upper Horsebit gold finished hardware Gingham print Covered platform sole Block heel In original box, wi...
Manolo Blahnik Chartreuse Chocolate leather Buckle Slip On Mule Low Kitten Heels
By Manolo Blahnik
Located in Sheffield, GB
Superb Manolo Blahnik Chartreuse & Chocolate coloured leather Slip On Mules with decorative buckle detail and exposed contrast stitching. Size; UK 4.5 / EU 37.5 Heel Height; 2” Condi...
$233Sale Price|25% Off
Size: 38
1990s Vintage Versus Versace Tweed Patent Leather Stiletto Heels Geometric Print
By Gianni Versace, Versus Versace
Located in London, GB
Vintage pumps from Versus Versace capture the distinctive aesthetic of the early to mid-1990s — a decade defined by bold silhouettes, playful textures, and architectural design detai...
Gianvito Rossi Plexi Heels in Multicolor PVC
By Gianvito Rossi
Located in Houston, TX
Resplendent and ravishing, these Plexi pumps from the Italian shoe label Gianvito Rossi are here to make you fall in love with them. Perfectly crafted from leather, suede and PVC, th...
Manolo Blahnik 2008 Silk Printed Mules With Turquoise Rhinestones, 5.5
By Manolo Blahnik
Located in North Miami, FL
This gorgeous pair of Manolo Blahnik pair of sexy mules have the most luscious silk printed design on them with chartreuse leather interior. The design is very Pucci esque. The turquoise like stones in a half moon cluster...
Manolo Blahnik Pastel Hearts and Floral Cutout Pointed Toe Mules Pumps 35.5
By Manolo Blahnik
Located in Mechanicsville, VA
Vintage Manolo Blahnik Pastel Floral Mule Pumps Color Multicolor Size 35.5IT Heel height 3.25 Suede upper Leather sole Pointed toe Medium heel height Flower and heart suede leathe...
Dior John Galliano FW1998 Runway Mary Jane Pumps Archive Heels EU 37.5
By John Galliano for Christian Dior
Located in San Jose, CA
Christian Dior by John Galliano Fall/Winter 1998 runway Mary Jane pumps from one of the designer's most celebrated archive collections. A rare pair featured on the FW1998 runway and famously owned by Kate Moss. A true piece of fashion history with virtually no availability on today's market. Beautifully crafted in multicolor leather with textured lizard accents, these sculptural heels feature an elongated pointed toe, delicate Mary Jane strap, elegant stiletto heel, and Galliano's signature patchwork color blocking. The rich mix of oxblood, raspberry, crimson, and chartreuse creates an unmistakable late-90s Dior...
Emilio Pucci 2000s Pink & Blue Starfish Jewel Sandal Heels
By Emilio Pucci
Located in Wembley, GB
Interdite Vintage presents a pair of Emilio Pucci 2000s Pink & Blue Starfish Jewel Sandal Heels These whimsical heels feature delicate beaded strap...
Jimmy Choo 2000s Orange Polkadot Silk Slingback Heels
By Jimmy Choo
Located in Wembley, GB
Interdite Vintage presents a pair of Jimmy Choo 2000s Orange Polkadot Silk Slingback Heels These silk satin heels are a playful statement piece featuring a vibrant multicoloured pol...
Emilio Pucci Blue Silk & Silver Jewel Wrap Heels
By Emilio Pucci
Located in Wembley, GB
Interdite Vintage presents a pair of Emilio Pucci Blue Silk & Silver Jewel Wrap Heels These silk heels feature Pucci’s iconic swirling print in vibrant shades of turquoise, navy and...
Valentino Green Satin Pink Floral Rosebud Appliqué Strappy Heels
Located in Wembley, GB
Interdite Vintage presents a pair of Valentino Green Satin Pink Floral Rosebud Appliqué Strappy Heels These vintage Valentino Garavani floral heels are crafted in luxurious olive gr...
Roberto Cavalli S/S 2002 Floral Multicolour Top & Bottom Set
By Roberto Cavalli
Located in Wembley, GB
Interdite Vintage presents a Roberto Cavalli S/S 2002 Floral Multicolour Top & Bottom Set This special two-piece set features a soft ivory palette, embellished with Cavalli’s signat...
Roberto Cavalli S/S 2004 Patchwork Animal Print Silk Dress
By Roberto Cavalli
Located in Wembley, GB
Interdite Vintage presents a Roberto Cavalli S/S 2004 Patchwork Animal Print Silk Dress This strappy slip dress features beautiful fluid silk with a bold zebra print design alongsid...
