MANOLO BLAHNIK | ICONIC SHOE MAKER

Manolo Blahnik (born 28 November 1942 Santa Cruz de La Palma, Canary Islands) is a Spanish born British fashion designer and founder of the self-named, high-end shoe brand. Born to a Czech father and a Spanish mother and born and raised in the Canary Islands, 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. Blahnik was awarded the honorary title of Commander of the British Empire in 2007 for his service to the British fashion industry.