Manolo Blahnik’s amazing career began in the early Seventies when he was introduced to Vogue’s New York editor Diana Vreeland, by his chum Paloma Picasso. Vreeland persuaded him to concentrate on shoes rather than theatre design, and the rest is history.

Thirty years on, he continues to be king of charm, as well as the designer of some of the world’s most elegant, glamorous and downright sexy shoes.

Born in 1943 in the Canary Islands to a Spanish mother and Czech father and raised on a banana plantation, he gave up studying of architecture and literature at the University of Geneva and moved to Paris 1968, then on to London two years later. His short time as a photographer for the Sunday Times introduced him to the fashion set. With Vreeland’s encouragement he began designing shoes and his first collection was for Ossie Clark in 1972.

He never looked back, and his shoes have graced the runway shows of all the major fashion houses. “Manolo’s” became a firm favourite of top model’s like Bianca Jagger, Marie Helvin and Jerry Hall. Diana, Princess of Wales wore them on the night that Prince Charles admitted his infidelity on television and Madonna said his shoes were “better than sex… and what’s more, they last longer”. Blahnik, with stiletto sharp wit responded: “You have to admire her, she hides her lack of talent so well.”

Over the years Blahnik’s shoes have made memorable TV appearances in programmes as diverse as The Simpsons, Absolutely Fabulous and Sex And The City.

Now you can get hold of a pair of Manolo’s right here in Dubai. His shoes are an outstanding piece of workmanship with impeccable detail and second-to-none style. Manolo’s make you feel so special, they are well worth the price tag, so put your best foot forward and get to level 2, Saks 5th Avenue, Bur Juman. See you there!