Patch Perfect: Manolo Blahniks latest kaleidoscopic creation

'Drusillo' shoes, £1,735, by Manolo Blahnik. 'Patchwork' fabric, £161 per m, by Dedar Milano. Fashion: Lune Kuipers

(Image credit: Norman Wilcox-Geissen)

last updated 27 October 2022

Manolo Blahnik looked to a diverse range of infuences when designing his first menswear collection, from Regency dandy Beau Brummell to Sicily’s boldly hued houses. But it was coverage of a more furnishing-focused kind that inspired the footwear aficionado’s ‘Drusillo’ shoe. The colourful Oxford style nods to the tones and patterns of a Moroccan patchwork quilt. ‘Its detail was exquisite,’ Blahnik demurs. ‘Each piece of fabric had been sewn together so precisely.’

The designer has been creating men’s shoes since he launched his eponymous footwear brand in 1973, catering to the likes of David Hockney and Mick Jagger. But it is only now that Blahnik has launched a dedicated menswear line, with an accompanying boutique in London’s Burlington Arcade. The design of the ‘Drusillo’ was also a lengthy pursuit. ‘I decided the patchwork should be multicoloured python,’ Blahnik says. ‘It took more than a year in the making. I don’t like to rush things. I’m a perfectionist after all.’

As originally featured in the October 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*235)

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For more information, visit Manolo Blahnik’s website

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