Manolo Blahnik

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Blahnik and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez.

Manolo Blahnik
Born	Manuel Blahnik Rodríguez 28 November 1942 (1942-11-28) (age 68) Santa Cruz de La Palma, Spain
Residence	London, United Kingdom
Nationality	Spanish
Occupation	Fashion designer
Labels	Manolo Blahnik

Manuel "Manolo" Blahnik Rodríguez CBE, ( /məˈnoʊloʊ ˈblɑːnɪk/^[1]; born 28 November 1942), is a Spanish fashion designer and founder of the self-named, high-end shoe brand.

Biography

Display of a Manolo Blahnik shoe

Born to a Czech father and a Spanish mother and born and raised in the Canary Islands (Spain), Blahnik graduated from the University of Geneva in 1965 and studied art in Paris. He moved to London in 1968 to work at fashion boutique "Zapata" and write for Vogue Italia. After showing his portfolio of fashions and set designs to Diana Vreeland, she told him that he should design only footwear. In 1972, Ossie Clark invited him to create shoes for his runway show. With a loan of £2,000, Blahnik bought Zapata from its owner and opened his own boutique.^[2]

In the 1970s, when chunky platform shoes and boots were the mainstream footwear styling of the day, Manolo Blahnik turned back his attention to the stiletto heel, which has remained the brand's mainstay to this day. Manolo Blahnik shoes have rapidly become a symbol of pure classical style for the 21st century.

Manolo Blahnik's flagship store remains to date in Old Church Street, Chelsea London.

Blahnik's boutiques are located in London, New York, Las Vegas, Dublin, Athens, Madrid, Istanbul, Dubai, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Seoul and Singapore. Bloomingdales (for which he created his first American collection), Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue carry his line in the United States and newly opened in Dubai Mall.

Blahnik was awarded the honorary title of Commander of the British Empire in 2007 for his service to the British fashion industry.

Manolo Blahniks worn by actress Whitney Port

Awards

Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)^[3]

• 1997 – The Stiletto
• 1990 – Accessory Designer of the Year
• 1987 – Special Award

British Fashion Council^[4]

• 1999 – Accessory Designer of the Year
• 1990 – Accessory Designer of the Year

In popular culture

The staff of the TV show, Angel, asked Manolo Blahnik for permission to use their company name onscreen. The company then provided footwear for the episode and insisted that characters wear the products even if the shoes were not shown on camera. In the popular long-running TV show "Sex and the City" Blahniks are a particular favorite of the character Carrie Bradshaw and as a result are mentioned frequently. They are referenced multiple times in Duck Dodgers whenever any sort of footwear defect occurs, typically with the grumbled phrase "Cheap counterfeit Manolo Blahniks".

References

1. ^ Spanish pronunciation: [manˈwel maˈnolo roˈð̞ɾiɣ̞eθ ˈblanik], Czech: [ˈblaxniːk] or [ˈblaɦniːk]
2. ^ Manolo Blahnik Design Museum Retrieved 7 August 2008
3. ^ CFDA Past Winners Past Winners Retrieved 31 January 2011
4. ^ Manolo Blahnik Biography Retrieved 31 January 2011

External links

• Official website
• Manolo Blahnik – designer profile at Fashion Model Directory
• Design Museum bio/profile

Persondata
Name	Blahnik, Manolo
Alternative names
Short description	fashion designer
Date of birth	28 November 1942
Place of birth	Santa Cruz de La Palma, Spain
Date of death
Place of death