Shoes – Remember them? Let’s reminisce on Manolo Blahnik’s memorable exhibition at The Wallace Collection

Got sad news today that iconic Italian shoe designer Sergio Rossi has died at age 84.  Announced in a statement by Rossi’s son Gianvito, the shoemaker contracted Covid-19 and had been hospitalised in Cesena, Italy.  May he rest in peace.

No doubt we are all in it together.  When news of fatalities hit home, we can't help but think about how fragile humans are and the world that we have known will never be the same again.

With lockdown still in place, and all manner of public spaces shut in the UK and many countries around the world,  I try to remember when was the last time I could put on a pair of beautiful shoes to go out, except for my trainers to go for a little walk near our home.  Even before the lockdown, busy modern life required us to go for everyday comfort and convenience, thus trainers or sneakers along with Chelsea boots or bikers had been the norm of the day.

Here’s one of the memorable exhibitions I had visited in 2019 at The Wallace Collection in London.  In An Engaging Mind, celebrated shoe designer Manolo Blahnik who understands femininity, luxury and attention to detail had put on display more than 100 of his beautiful ladies' footwear spanning a 50-year career.  He said he has been immensely inspired over the years by the gallery’s collection of paintings, furniture and porcelain.  Adorned with flowers and ribbons, some of the designs were possibly inspired by gardens and sunny garden rooms.

Blahnik’s greatest shoes were intimately on display alongside and amongst the masterpieces of The Wallace Collection, inside bell-shaped jars, illustrating them as objects of desire to be admired. 

The Wallace Collection, comprising an extensive collection of fine and decorative arts from the 15th to the 19th centuries with important holdings of French 18th century paintings, furniture, arms and armour, porcelain and Old Master paintings arranged into 30 galleries, is housed at Hertford House in Manchester Square, London, the former townhouse of the Seymour family, Marquesses of Hertford.

The galleries of unrivalled 18th century collections form a sympathetic backdrop for a carefully curated selection of Manolo Blahnik's exquisite shoes.  Note the intricate detailing, laces, appliques, sequins and diamentes.  The feminine touches are testiment that the designer understands how to entice women.

Photos by Lucia Carpio, at The Wallace Collection, London, UK, June 2019.