Manolo Blahnik Grey Wool and Black Suede Mary Jane Style Shoes-37.5
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:West Palm Beach, FL
- Reference Number:
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: West Palm Beach, FL
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Yves Saint Laurent Chocolate Brown Slide On Leather Sandal Heels - 8By Yves Saint LaurentLocated in West Palm Beach, FLYves Saint Laurent Chocolate Brown Slide On Leather Sandal Heels. These Size 8 Shoes are in Very Good Condition.Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Shoes
- Christian Louboutin Black Suede Flats with Tie Up Front - 37.5By Christian LouboutinLocated in West Palm Beach, FLChristian Louboutin Black Suede Flats with Tie Up Front. These Size 37.5 Shoes are in Very Good Condition with Moderate Wear on the Bottom.Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Shoes
- Chloe Gunmetal Metallic Flats - 38.5By ChloéLocated in West Palm Beach, FLChloe Gunmetal Metallic Flats - 38.5 These beautiful flats are in excellent condition. They appear to have never been worn before. The fabric of the shoe is thin and has a silver me...Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- Oscar De La Renta Black Linen High Heel Thong Strap - 38.5By Oscar De La RentaLocated in West Palm Beach, FLOscar De La Renta Black Linen High Heel Thong Strap - 38.5 These unique linen sandals are in excellent condition. The shoes have a thong strap that has a thicker band. The band is ...Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- Stella McCartney Navy & White Pump - 36.5By Stella McCartneyLocated in West Palm Beach, FLStella McCartney Navy & White Pump - 36.5 These unique pumps are in excellent condition. The pump and heel are made of patent leather and are a soft grey ...Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- Manolo Blahnik Black Satin Strappy Heels - 36.5By Manolo BlahnikLocated in West Palm Beach, FLManolo Blahnik Black Satin Strappy Heels - 36.5. These beautiful heels black satin with criss-crossed straps. On the ankle strap there is a gold cl...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
- Christian Louboutin Décolleté "So Kate" size 37 1/2By Christian LouboutinLocated in Gazzaniga (BG), ITIconic So Kate pointed pumps Leather incrusted with crystals Leopard fancy Heel height cm 12 (472 inches) With dustbag Original price euro 2000Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- Christian Louboutin Louis Orlato Crystal size 38By Christian LouboutinLocated in Gazzaniga (BG), ITSuede Black color Completely adorned with black crystals Laced Original price around euro 2495Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- Casadei Suede boots size 39By CasadeiLocated in Gazzaniga (BG), ITSuede Blrown color Heel height cm 8 (3,14 inches) total boots height cm 44 (17,3 inches)Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- Rare vintage 90s DKNY sneaker boots, boxedBy Donna KaranLocated in NEWARK, GBA rare pair of boxed vintage DKNY sneaker boots. They are high heeled boots in a stretchy black canvas with a neon yellow rubber heel and half toe design which is slightly see throu...Category
Late 20th Century American Shoes
- Alaia Over Knee Studded Flat Boots size 39By Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Brossard, QCCrafted in Italy, Alaïa's black leather pair is backed in a stretch fabric for the perfect streamlined fit. Metal applications. Solid color Narrow round toe line Composition: 100% Go...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
- Fendi Italy Black Patent Leather Buckle Pumps 37.5By FendiLocated in University City, MOFendi Italy Black patent leather buckle pumps 37.5 The stylish Italian pumps are covered with shiny black patent leather The peep toe pumps are accent...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes