Manolo Blahnik celebrates its 50th anniversary with a capsule collection and virtual museum

If the series Sex and the City, and later the films have made these protagonists Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall famous, it will also highlight the extraordinary creations of Spanish shoemaker Manolo Blahnik. At the heart of many cult scenes – such as the robbery or heroine Carrie Bradshaw’s marriage proposal – Manolo Blahnik shoes become a character in their own right on the show. Long before they achieved iconic status with women the world over, these slingbacks and sandals with their sensual, refined lines had already convinced Diana Vreeland, colourful editor-in-chief of the American Vogue or designers Calvin Klein, John Galliano and Oscar de la Renta, who called on these services for their shows. The culmination of an exceptional career, when Manolo Blahnik was awarded the Outstandig Achievement Award at the 2012 British Fashion Awards, 

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the famous shoemaker has created a collection of all-gold shoes, featuring both reinterpreted classics and new creations. Festive and glamorous, the models are dressed in the finest materials and exquisite details. For example, stiletto sandals are adorned with playful little bells at the ankle, mules combine feathers and gold leaf, while boots are covered in a multitude of golden bangs or delicate, glittering lace. Last but not least, the iconic jeweled pumps are available in a precious liquid-gold-effect satin version. To accompany this exclusive launch, the shoemaker will inaugurate on November 18 a virtual museum entitled A New Way of Walking , which will highlight the shoemaker’s work through five interactive rooms, including The Palette Room (80 chromatically arranged sketches), The 70’s Room (film extracts, newspaper clippings…) and The Room of the Shoemaker,  unpublished portraits and personal photographs), 12 Friendships (a look back at the shoemaker’s friendships), The Gold Room (which celebrates opulence and excess in its collections), and Our Family (spotlighting the company’s craftsmen). 

The collection is available at 11-12, galerie de Montpensier, Palais-Royal, Paris ^I. Tel. 0140261078.

The virtual exhibition  ANew Way of Walking will be available online on November 18.