"About half my designs are controlled fantasy, 15 percent are total madness and the rest are bread-and-butter designs. "

After looking at all these artists who are mixing traditional with contemporary in their artwork i decided to look at someone who uses just traditional techniques, someone who not only creates amazing sketches ... but amazing shoes ... Mr Manolo Blahnik.


Since 1972 when Blahnik first started designing he created the most fantastic sketches of his design ideas. His drawing were very fine pencil lines, very angular and elongated. This style of drawing has become so iconic to Manolo, and the designs are that greatly appreciated that a book was published with a archive of his drawings. Even now at the age of 68 he continues to design fabulous shoes.

I have always been a fan of both Blahnik sketches & shoes, I really like the shape he uses for the foot with the skinny ankles and smoothly curved arcs and how because they are drawn freely by hand each foot is a slightly different shape or tone.