Manolo Blahnik Comes to Liberty!

For the first time, Manolo Blahnik’s legendary shoes will be available outside of his own shop at a glorious store-in-store. There’ll be a veritable treasure trove of shoes, including exclusive Liberty print styles, as well as candles, gifts and printed accessories.

The World of Manolo will launch next Wednesday September 8^th at Liberty, to coincide with Vogue Fashion’s Night Out. As this grand opening approaches, we were lucky enough to track Blahnik down for this exclusive interview:

What he loves about Liberty:

“I have known about Liberty since I was a young boy. My mother used to order Tana Lawn fabric and make us outfits. The store is so beautiful and its history is so rich. “

On The Collaboration:

“Initially I was supposed to design only one print, but then we came up with so many great ideas for other items. Shoes in Liberty fabrics are not new to me, I used to have a shoe in Liberty print in almost every collection, however this time I chose prints from the archives for the shoes. It is unbelievable the amount of beautiful prints Liberty have created through the decades! I couldn’t choose – I felt like a child in a sweet shop! Liberty also created my own prints from my drawings which are being used for the umbrellas, scarves, ties and other items.”

On his muse:

“I don’t really have muses, but there are a few beautiful women who I think of when I design shoes. I adore Mediterranean women like Claudia Cardinale, Sophia Loren and Paz Vega. They are a huge inspiration to me. The way in which they carry themselves and the femininity they convey, turns the shoes into very powerful objects.”

On English Style:

“What I admire most about English people’s style is their fearlessness and individuality. Brits wear what they want and are not really concerned about what other people will think. They follow no rules and mix up their clothing in interesting ways; that is why the British streets are a constant inspiration to me.”

Some more facts about Manolo:

•  When he stays in hotels he’s sure to ask for a good drawing table, so he’s always ready to sketch down new ideas.

 

•  His home in Bath is “simple, tidy and full of books”.

 

• He would most like to make shoes for the real Marie Antoinette. Blahnik designed the shoes for Sofia Coppola’s film, but would have loved to have a chance to create shoes for the real queen.

 

• Says the most important tip for wearing heels is to have confidence – “When you are wearing a pair of shoes you love, this should come naturally. Keep your back straight and smile.”

 

• He likes the way Daphne Guinness wears shoes – “They are very often an interesting part of her fabulous ensembles. Also Yasmin Le Bon wears my shoes beautifully. She is extremely striking and elegant.”

The Shoe collection will be available for pre-order this Friday 3^rd September

The World of Manolo will launch in store and online on 8th September. The Man himself will be in store from 6-8pm to mark the grand opening, and will return later on this year to sign copies of his new book.

*Image taken from the upcoming book “Manolo’s New Shoes” – a collection of drawings published by Thames and Hudson.