Manolo Blahnik is a luxury footwear brand founded in 1970 by Manolo Blahnik in London. The company remains privately held and family-owned, with Manolo Blahnik continuing to serve as the designer and his niece Kristina Blahnik managing the business as chief executive. The brand is recognized as one of the most prestigious names in luxury women's footwear.
Manolo Blahnik designs every shoe himself, personally sketching each style and overseeing production at the brand's factory in Italy. The designer is known for his refined, elegant shoe designs characterized by slim stiletto heels, pointed toes, delicate straps, and the use of high-quality materials including silk, satin, leather, and exotic skins. His designs have been praised by fashion editors, museum curators, and designers for their craftsmanship and artistic quality.
The brand gained widespread popular recognition through its prominent placement in the television series Sex and the City, during which the character Carrie Bradshaw's devotion to Manolo Blahnik shoes introduced the brand to a broader audience. The Hangisi pump, featuring a square jeweled buckle on a pointed-toe satin pump, has become the brand's most iconic style, particularly after appearing as the shoe worn with a wedding dress in the Sex and the City film.
Manolo Blahnik produces exclusively footwear -- women's heels, flats, sandals, boots, and mules, as well as a men's shoe collection. The brand does not produce handbags, clothing, or fragrances. The company operates boutiques in London, New York, Milan, Geneva, Hong Kong, and other select locations, and sells through its e-commerce platform, department stores, and luxury multi-brand retailers. Production is based in Italy, with shoes constructed in the brand's own factory in the Marche region.