Manolo Blahnik unveils interactive virtual exhibition to celebrate 50 years in fashion
Luxury footwear and accessories house Manolo Blahnik is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an interactive virtual exhibition showcasing its extensive archives.
This virtual world is divided into five rooms that celebrate “past and present pivotal moments,” opening up the brand’s archives for the first time.
Blahnik’s drawings entitled ‘A New Way of Walking’ are the focal point of the interactive exhibition, which captures the shoemaker’s artistic flair, humour, and attention to detail.
There are five themed rooms in the virtual space:
The Palette Room comprises 80 drawings arranged in a spectrum of hues honouring Blahnik’s love and use of colour. By clicking on the shoes, virtual visitors can learn about the inspiration behind each design and see a full 360-degree view of the finished product.
The 12 Friendships Room is dedicated to 12 of Blahnik’s most pivotal friendships and personal connections. Early mentor Diana Vreeland, the former editor-in-chief of American Vogue (who encouraged his luxury footwear venture) is featured, together with a mix of fashion personalities and celebrities including Anna Wintour, Paloma Picasso and Bianca Jagger, many of whom he designed for.
The Gold Room observes Blahnik’s continuing influence on gold and unapologetically celebrates opulence and excess. This room features some of Blahnik’s most spectacular and iconic designs of the past 50 years, solidifying his position as a master of design, materials, and craftsmanship of the highest quality. Continuing with the gold theme and just in time for the holidays, is a new 50th-anniversary capsule collection ‘Our Golden Year’ of shoes, boots and handbags, available to shop on the website.
The ‘70s Room, through the use of film clips, newspaper cuttings, and personal photos, tells of the many ‘firsts’ the company accomplished in its early days. There are also archival sketches illustrating the evolution of Blahnik’s designs over the past 50 years.
The Our Family Room shows appreciation for the Manolo Blahnik family as a whole, featuring happy black and white portraits of team members from each corner of the globe, many lovingly holding a Manolo!
Manolo Blahnik was established in 1970 and opened its first boutique in London’s Chelsea. With its headquarters still in London, it currently has 20 flagship boutiques in 31 countries, its own global e-commerce platform and additionally over 300 points of sale with partners across the globe.
For more information about the luxury, shoemaker please visit the exhibition or Manolo Blahnik website.
