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An Enquiring Mind: Manolo Blahník’s exhibition in London


From the 10th of June until the 1st of September 2019 the Wallace Collection in London

hosts some of the most beautiful creations of Manolo Blahník, artist and icon of the world of

shoes and fashion at large.





The exhibition has been organized thanks to the partnership between the designer and the

Wallace Collection and curated by Xavier Bray and Manolo himself. Behind the choice of

the Wallace Collection lies the designer’s vibrant passion for art and museums, which have

been always an inspiration for his works.





The Exhibition wants to enhance a line of continuity between the designer’s creations and

the sculptures and paintings in the background, opening a dialogue between the

contemporary and the old, a delicate dance always at the centre of his creative process.

Indeed, as the artist stated: “The Wallace Collection has been a point of reference for me

since my early days in London. It was – and remains – one of my favourite museums with

the most refined selection of art. I am incredibly humbled and honoured to be a part

of the project and have my work displayed at the museum.”




The designer has carefully chosen the creations to be exposed from the archives, selecting

also the ten galleries that inspired his research for beauty the most; the visitor can walk

through the room of the eighteen-century France, then admire the Neo- classical works,

coming to the Baroque and Boucher’s and Fragonard’s works.



courtesy of manoloblahnik.com


The thin strand that unites the shoes and the works of art concerns also the excellent

craftmanship and the research of sublime materials that Blahník has always used in his

creations. The shoes are made and surrounded of refined materials, from the furniture on

which they are placed, to the entire atmosphere in which they are immersed.


words Ludovica Mucci


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