Manolo Blahnik is the only shoe designer of his stature to design alone, and has done so since he created his brand in 1970. He works alone not as a means to set himself apart from his contemporaries, but simply because he does not require any creative input. When Manolo sits down to work, ideas flow through him fluidly and effortlessly.
Every shoe Manolo creates begins as a freehand sketch using sable brushes and watercolour ink. His stylistic use of line, light and colour give the renderings an impressionistic quality, making them works of art in their own right. Once he has sketched an entire collection, Manolo brings his drawings to the factories in Italy to work with the technicians on how to build them in three dimensions.
This is the secret of his success: retain a high craftsmanship giving each his collection a stylistic identity at the highest level in terms of elegance, quality and originality.
