Manolo Blanik Black Satin Leather Cocktail Open Stripe Shoes

His name has become synonymous with women’s luxury shoes, yet Manolo Blahnik is a shoe designer by accident. He was studying art and set design in Paris when, in 1969, his close friend Paloma Picasso introduced him to then-director of the Met Costume Institute, Diana Vreeland. Upon seeing Manolo’s sketches for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Vreeland zeroed in on Hippolyta’s high-heeled sandal decorated with ivy and cherries and told him, “Young man, stick to the extremities and make shoes!”

Born in the Canary Islands to a Spanish mother and a Czech father, Manolo grew up in the lush and isolated setting of a banana plantation owned by his mother’s family. He recalls having an early fixation with feet-specifically those of the lizards that invaded the gardens of his home. In a solitary game, Manolo would shape the aluminium wrappers from his chocolate candies into shoes for the unsuspecting reptiles. It wasn’t until his conversation with Diana Vreeland many years later that he would think about creating shoes again.

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Pradera Fashion Division is specialized in European Fashion designers, clothing, handbags, accessories and as such we sell original authentic designer items. All our items are carefully verified by our in-house expert. They are new rest of stock, vintage or preowned, authentic and comply with the item description for sale. Vintage preowned items are not new and therefore will always have minor imperfections, even when the items have been used and worn with love and care. Any age-related wear will be mentioned.

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