Whereas Fleeting Gestures was a comprehensive survey spanning Manolo Blahnik's forty-year career, Manolo Blahnik: The Art of Shoes is a playful, intimate look at Blahnik's creative process, told through an alphabetical chronicle of the designer's loves and inspirations. Created to accompany a travelling exhibition starting in Venice in January 2017, this book is illustrated by previously unpublished sketches by the designer, new photography of his favorite shoes, and includes an essay by curator Cristina Albornoz featuring a dozen personal and editorial images of the designer and his work.
Through a playful series of alphabetical vignettes, Manolo Blahník reveals his ideas and inspirations in newly photographed examples of shoes and whimsical drawings. The shoes of Manolo Blahník have been called “magical totems of success and femininity” (
The Guardian) and boast a cult following of devotees the world over. With their sleek elegance and distinctive fashion edge, “Manolos” are at once fascinating and timeless, their design a beautiful combination of chic, playfulness, and flair.
This book explores the creativity and influences of this modern master through an alphabetical chronicle of the designer’s loves and inspiration. Blahník’s alphabet gives insight into the art and craftsmanship of shoemaking and includes whimsical musings on his relationships with figures such as Anna Piaggi, Loulou de la Falaise, and Diana Vreeland; the inspiration he draws from works by Goya, Zurbarán, Picasso, Barbara Hepworth, and Zaha Hadid; and his admiration for fellow designers such as Azzedine Alaïa, Balenciaga, and Yves Saint Laurent. These highly personal anecdotes—drawn from conversations between Blahník and the author and accompanied by original sketches and new photography—offer the reader a rare opportunity to learn the vision behind the shoes as told by a fashion legend. The book— which will accompany a traveling global exhibition— is introduced by an illustrated essay, which describes the designer’s illustrious forty-five-year career in the fashion industry.
