Website: www.myoc.com

Manolo Blahnik was born in Santa Cruz, Canary Islands in 1943. His mother was Spanish and his father Czechoslovakian. He claims to have learned his design skills from his mother, who, he says, still corrects his sketches today.

He studied law and literature at the University of Geneva, Switzerland before moving to Paris, where he spent 1968 studying art and the Ecole du Louvre. In his spare time he worked as a shop assistant in a boutique.

In 1970, he moved to London and began to design shoes in a tiny shop called Zapanta. On a visit to New York in 1973, he showed his sketch portfolio to several fashion editors, including Diana Vreeland, who encouraged him to concentrate on shoe design. Blahnik was put in touch with an Italian shoemaker who helped him to organize his ideas.

In 1973, he opened his first boutique in London. He designed shoes for the collections of OSSIE CLARK, and since that time he has become one of the world's most famous shoe designers. He has designed shoes for PERRY ELLIS, CALVIN KLEIN, JEAN MUIR, ZANDRA RHODES, YVES St. LAURENT, RIFAT OZBEK, and many others.

In the 70's one of his first creations was plastic sandals called "jellies" for Fiorucci. Here are several of his witty designs. The top one is a feather-light silk mule crowned with pearls and frosted with crystal beads. The pixie shoe is the middle, could be worn by Peter Pan. His sandal with a clear plastic instep band leaves the foot looking naked and focuses attention on the toes.

Most of the world's rich and influential women have a collection of Blahnik shoes. Diana, Princess of Wales, loved his designs. She had many of his shoes in different colours. Women appreciate not only the consummate workmanship and cheeky charm of his creations but also for their legendary fit. "I have certain little tricks" he says, "I am king of the scissors".

His factory is in Parabiago, Italy which turns out only about 80 pairs a day because so much hand-work is involved. He is very admiring of the Italian craftsmanship in making shoes. He carves heels himself and oversees each design made. Even though the supply is limited, it seems to make ladies desire them more and some customers order by phone, sight unseen.

The styles sold through his London and New York stores are highly sophisticated. He is noted for his use of coloured leather, often decorated with graceful, fluid designs. Most of his shoes have a signature taped vamp.

He is an influential designer with a loyal international clientele who appreciate his ebullient but refined creations.

click below:

Manolo Blahnik by Colin McDowell

Manolo Blahnik : Shoes and conversations by Eric Boman