Manuel "Manolo" Blahnik Rodriguez is a Spanish fashion designer and founder of the eponymous high-end shoe brand.
19 Facts About Manolo Blahnik
2.
Manolo Blahnik's father left Prague in the 1930s to avoid rising fascism; his grandparents disappeared in the 1950s after the Communists took charge.
3.
Manolo Blahnik was homeschooled as a child before eventually attending a Swiss boarding school.
4.
In 1969, Manolo Blahnik had a chance to meet Diana Vreeland, the editor-in-chief of US Vogue, while he was traveling in New York.
5.
Manolo Blahnik designed shoes for other London fashion designers, such as Jean Muir and Zandra Rhodes.
6.
In 1974, Manolo Blahnik became the second man ever to be featured on the cover of UK Vogue.
7.
Manolo Blahnik opened his first boutique in the US in 1979.
8.
Manolo Blahnik's boutiques are located in London, New York, Geneva, Madrid, Barcelona, Moscow, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, and Taipei.
9.
Manolo Blahnik has signed a long-term deal with the shoewear retailer Kurt Geiger to operate Manolo Blahnik boutiques.
10.
Manolo Blahnik was elevated to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1987.
11.
In 2007, Manolo Blahnik was appointed as an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his service to the British fashion industry.
12.
Manolo Blahnik studied fashion magazines and interpreted the latest fashion trends on her clothing.
13.
Manolo Blahnik's mother was always dissatisfied with the shoes from their hometown so she made her own.
14.
Manolo Blahnik learned the rudiments of her craft from a local Canary Island cobbler and, as a boy, Blahnik loved to watch his mother when she made beautiful shoes.
15.
Manolo Blahnik has inherited his mother's love for brocade and satin fabrics and recounted how, as a boy, he found a trunk filled with shoes by the famous Russian, Pierre Yantorny, all made from silks, antique lace and brocades trimmed with delicate buckles.
16.
All were light, elegant and feminine, attributes Manolo Blahnik later brought to his own designs.
17.
When Manolo Blahnik was attending university he lived with his aunt and uncle.
18.
Manolo Blahnik refined his tastes and learned to appreciate the beauty of luxury, art, and happiness and beauty.
19.
Manolo Blahnik learned the skills by visiting shoe factories and talking to pattern cutters, technicians, and machine operators.