Manolo Blahnik’s Malkemus In DC

Today, Manolo Blahnik President George Malkemus is on his way to Italy to meet with Manolo himself, but on Saturday, he was at the Tysons Galleria Neiman Marcus to present the latest Manolo Blahnik shoes in a fashion show for a select audience. As he showed each shoe, Malkemus shared the stories behind them, how to wear the shoes, and what he and Manolo are loving right now. Continue reading here!

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One of the first shoes he showed was the BB pump – a “new favorite,” with a low cut, pointed toe and high stiletto. Manolo is especially loving the nude, caramel colors along with a new cork color, which is a “great neutral,” according to Malkemus. Another great neutral, he insists? The silver sparkle! There was also lots of raffia, animal prints (which Manolo finds “very sexy”) and patent leather.

Malkemus also showed the Mary Jane, made famous as the “urban myth” shoe in Sex and the City, as well as the Carolyne slingblack, known as the Manolo “starter shoe.” Because they know their shoes are an investment, Manolo believes they should be timeless and elegant – and about the totality of the woman (not just the shoe). But they also have amazingly fun shoes, like this neon BB pump and this gorgeous floral sandal. “Don’t be afraid of color,” Malkemus insisted, and don’t be afraid to mix prints. “I like prints mixed with prints, but you have to be good at it,” he said.

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Malkemus also had some great stories to tell. One of my favorites was how Anna Wintour loves slingbacks, even though she can’t wear them well. The strap will fall off the heel for her, but she says she loves the gesture of stopping to slide the strap back on. Similarily, Manolo loves the “click clack” of the mule as a woman walks in them. Malkemus showed several pairs of mules, like the blue one above and here, which are making a comeback, Malkemus suggested.

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But my absolute favorite story was how at a trunk show in Los Angeles, Manolo came running to Malkemus saying a woman had just propositioned him, asking if he did “layaway.” Malkemus laughed and explained what layaway meant, and even though it’s not something they traditionally do, they made a special exception for this young woman – an unknown Sarah Jessica Parker – who explained that as one of eight children and only ever getting hand-me-downs, she longed for something of her own. She walked away with three pairs of shoes that day, and never forgot it; and when she later starred in Sex and the City, she made Manolo Blahnik shoes something every young woman coveted. In fact, Malkemus referred to her as their “guardian angel.” Who doesn’t remember the scene where she opens a Manolo Blahnik box, saying “…sometimes it’s hard to walk in a single woman’s shoes. That’s why we need really special ones now and then to make the walk a little more fun.” And what could possibly be more special than a classic pair of Manolos?