For all of fashion’s nostalgia for the ’90s, few designers have been able to recapture the glamour of the era quite like Manolo Blahnik. Understandably so: the London-based shoe designer shot to fame during the decade, when his elegant designs were flaunted by Hollywood stars and supermodels.
For his Fall/Winter 2024 collection, the ever erudite Blahnik drew from an array of inspirations—Spanish flamenco, Old Hollywood and surrealist art, to name a few—but what ties his shoes together are their nods to the ’90s. Intentional or not, those touches prove the decade’s lasting influence on the designer.
You can see them in the new Hangisi designs. This season, Blannik’s famous satin pumps are crafted from tartan wool instead, owing to his fascination with Scottish textiles. Tartan also dominated ’90s fashion, which led to some oft-referenced, on-screen style moments. You can easily picture the stars of shows like Clueless, Friends and The Nanny wearing this season’s Hangisis, which come in blue and red, and are topped with their signature jewel buckle.
Velvet was another favoured fabric of the era. Its luxurious shine made it perfect for the red carpet, and celebrities would land on best-dressed lists wearing slip dresses and suits cut from the material. Today, celebrities can complete their ensembles with the new Maysale mules, which have been refashioned with velvet. The fabric shares the same soft touch as suede, which was the original material that the Maysales came in when they were introduced in 1991. With its lustrous look, however, velvet transforms the shoes into an elegant choice for the evening. Blahnik made the Maysale shoes even more alluring by offering them in deep jewel tones.
There is a lavishness that runs through the rest of his designs for Fall/Winter 2024. The Marijana, Manolo Blahnik’s Mary Jane pumps, now comes in matte black and deep wine red styles. The colours are likely borrowed from German painter Franz Xaver Winterhalter’s compelling portraits of royalty in the 19th century, a key inspiration for Blahnik this season, along with the ornate touches of the Rococo era. The latter led to the graceful embellishments on the Lamisan slingback sandals.
Blahnik also looked to depictions of the French empress Joséphine Bonaparte, which resulted in the curved buckle of baguette crystals seen on the Memonia mules. Meanwhile, the Alvisa sandals, with their glimmering rings, were designed as an homage to a different kind of royalty. Blahnik looked to Hollywood icon Rita Hayworth and her leading role in the 1946 film, Gilda.
These sparkling shoes would have been right at home in a woman’s wardrobe in the ’90s, which typically included silk, sequin and satin pieces. So too would the colourful designs from Manolo Blahnik’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection, like the Brontiasli slingback pumps, which come in buttery yellow or bold blue suede. Or the Espan flats, which feature flamenco-inspired ruffles on the front, and are offered in red and hot pink.
Unafraid of colours, textures, and silhouettes, Manolo Blahnik imbues his Fall/Winter 2024 collection with the exuberance of ’90s fashion without being stuck in the past. It is a skill that the seasoned designer has mastered: balancing the tastes of the past with those of the present. It is how his luxury brand has managed to withstand the changing tides of fashion trends, and continue to flourish after 54 years. What has remained the same about Manolo Blahnik shoes since 1970? They are comfortable, full of character, and can be treasured for a lifetime.
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