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Not without my ‘manolos’: Shoes that make women happy
In terms of seconds they increase your height and confidence, they make you look slender and get you looking smart. The high-heel shoes by Choo, Blahnik or Louboutin border the sublime, that is why they are the favourites of women.
"What makes Manolo Blahnik a world fetish and the favourite shoemaker of fashion-addicts? His list of wealthy, elegant and famous customers is, simply, never-ending. Madonna, who orders complete collections for each season, asserts that wearing his shoes is better than sex, Sex in the City protagonist confesses she is addict to “manolos”.
What Blahnik offers his customers is an injection of self-esteem: feeling wonderful and special just by wearing shoes. Sometimes it is enough with storing them, in well-visible places, in the wardrobe. Expensive? Yes, for shoes, but not for a magic wound. As the designer himself states, “shoes help transform a woman”.
A fortunate advice
Manolo Blahnik did not come from that business. He was born among banana trees in the canaries island of La Palma. Of Spanish mum and Czech dad, he studied in Switzerland when, in 1970, the chief editor of US Vogue, Diana Vreeland, convinced him to design shoes. In 1973 he opened his first shop in London and today it is a luxurious multinational.
He also collects awards: The British Fashion Council, the Spanish Aguja de Oro and the Gold Medal of Fine Arts. Its branch in Madrid (Serrano, 58) is a few blocks always from his most direct competitor: Jimmy Choo (Ortega y Gasset, 15).
By the feet of Princess Diana
Choo is another legend. Its recent collection for the Swedish multinational H&M was a global success talked about for months and that created queues lasting hours by the door of H&M shops before the launch. The reward: a pair of shoes for only 100 euros.
Born in Malaysia, he graduated in 1983 in what is today the London College of Fashion and he gained fame after being chosen by Diana princess of Wales. Later on, he re-founded the firm together with accessories’ editor of English Vogue Tamara Mellton, to whom he transferred her part in the business in 2001. Its name represents deluxe prêt-à-chausser, glamour, exquisite metal sandals, bold boots and fun accessories.
12-centimeter heels and diamonds
Another phenomenon is French Christian Louboutin, the favourite of women who are very sure of themselves, such as presenter Oprah Winfrey, collector of ""louboutins"". Its signs are eccentricity, 12-cm heels and patent leather.
US Stuart Weitzman shines especially on red carpets: His appliqué work of cut precious stones and metals to his creations have led him to beat an absolute record: having made the most expensive shoes in the world, in platinum, covered in diamonds and valued in one million dollars.
Italian elegance
Salvatore Ferragamo is loved by elegant women. His sons maintain the legend of a huge artist that reigned in the Hollywood of 1920 and who returned to Italy to create one of the most important luxurious firms in the country. Today, it proposes crazy sandals of multicolour wedge, or ""salon"" shoes of a mid-size heel and a demurred ribbon, the firm’s most famous model.
These are not the only shoemakers at the top. The market is large and succulent, because it is accessible even to women marginalised by fashion because of their size. There we can find the Zanotti, Vuitton, Roger Vivier, Prada, Tod’s, Lanvin or Loeffler Randall’s, willing to provide them pedestals to take them to the skies. The price is a mere formality."
Enlaces de interés
•www.manoloblahnik.com
•www.jimmychoo.com
•www.christianlouboutin.com
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Published in Fashion and Beauty by Malena Mangas on 07/05/2010
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