Manuel “Manolo” Blahnik Rodriguez is a distinguished fashion designer, born on 27th November 1942 in Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. He founded the eponymous shoe brand, known for its signature stilettos.
Have you ever wondered how rich Manolo Blahnik is? According to sources it has been estimated that Manolo’s overall net worth is $200 million, as of late 2017, accumulated by making a name for himself in the fashion industry, becoming one of the most prominent designers ever. Since he is still actively designing, his net worth continues to increase.
Manolo Blahnik Net Worth $200 Million
Blahnik was born into a mixed marriage of a Spanish mother and Czech father. His family owned a banana plantation on the island, and Czech family a pharmaceutical business in Prague. He was initially home-schooled, then went to a Swiss boarding school, and as his parents wanted him to be a diplomat, Manolo was then enrolled at the University of Geneva where he would major in Politics and Law. However, he decided to change his majors to Literature and Architecture, and moved to Paris upon graduation to study art at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and Stage Set Design at the Louvre Art School. During his studies he worked at a vintage clothing shop, and then moved to London where he worked at a fashion boutique, and at the same time wrote for “L’Uomo Vogue“ magazine. After meeting Diana Vreeland, the then chief editor of US Vogue, to whom he presented his portfolio and designs, he started working on designing shoes, following Vreeland’s advice.
In 1972 he was invited to create shoes for Ossie Clark’s runway show, and other fashion designers soon sent their requests for Blahnik’s shoes, including Jean Muir and Zandra Rhodes. Soon he opened his own boutique, and became the second man ever to be featured on the cover of UK Vogue in 1974. By 1977, Manolo had started selling his shoes in the US through Bloomingdales, and then opened his boutique in the US, and has since been the symbol of pure classic style. His store still remains located in Old Church Street in Chelsea, London, and his other boutiques are found around the world in cities including New York, Las Vegas, Athens, Dublin, Istanbul, Dubai, Seoul and Stockholm among many others. Blahnik entered the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1987, and has numerous awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. For his service to the British fashion industry, Manolo was appointed as an honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order British Empire (CBE) in 2007. He was also awarded an honorary degree from Bath Spa University in July 2012.
When it comes to his personal life, there isn’t much information available. However, rumours suggest that Blahnik has married his unnamed long-term partner. Actually, many celebrities have proudly been married wearing a pair of his shoe designs. His image was made mainstream and much more popular thanks to the character of Carry Bradshaw, who wore them on the popular TV show “Sex and the City”. He stated in one interview that he loves living in England, and that he is a bit old-fashioned but proud of it.
