MAR
2006
31

Let it Go Gray, John, Let it Go Gray

Manolo says, ayyyyyyy! La Travolta, he is entering Pavrotti territory!

MAR
2006
31

Manolo the Columnist

Manolo say, the most recent column of the Manolo for the Express of the Washington Post it is now available for the downloading.

Again with the wedges!

Dear Manolo,

I’ve been visiting your blog this week and I’ve noticed that you’ve been featuring lots of beautiful, but very expensive wedges. Can you recommend something for the impoverished working girl?

Erika

Manolo says, as the readers of the Manolo’s humble shoe blog know the Manolo has been completely entranced by the most fabulous wedges of this season, and indeed if the super fantastic girl she has $400 of the American dollars to spend the possibilities they are endless.

Sadly, however, not all of the Manolo’s readers are so flush, and with them the Manolo cannot but sympathize, for the Manolo, he knows what it is like to be poor, so poor that you must fashion your own super fantastic glittery wedge-heeled shoes out of the shards of disco balls and broken dreams you have recovered from the dumpster behind the Studio 54.

And so the Manolo has found for his many reader friends this beautiful high-heel wedge from the Franco Sarto selling for under $100 of the American dollars. He is especially fond of the pewter metallic finish, although it is also available in the bronze, the black, and something called the “tobacco waxy calf”.

Crete by Franco Sarto   Manolo Likes!  Click!

Here, as the bonus for the readers for the Manolo’s blog, is another attractive and affordable wedge from the Franco Sarto.

Disbark by Franco Sarto    Manolo Likes!  Click!

MAR
2006
30

Project Runway Encounters

Manolo says, the Manolo he has been reading with great pleasure the various accounts of the Blogging the Project Runways trip to the Apple of Largness to see the Project Runway sites and meet with the Tim Gunn, et al. Of the course, the Manolo was especially pleased by the super fantastic Scarlett’s version of her Project Runway Encounters.

MAR
2006
30

Manhunt World Man Model

Manolo says, ayyyyyyyy! Once again it is time for the Manhunt World Man Model contest!

First the Formal Wear…

Then the Swimsuit

And finally, the “Talent” competition.

MAR
2006
30

Advice for the Big Leg Lady

Manolo says, Furlagirl, one of the the Manolo’s dear internet friends, has asked the Manolo for advice.

Suppose you are a woman born in the same year as Isabella Rossellini, i.e. no long in the first glow of youth, but still prowling the halls of Harvey Nicks and Barney’s when in New York for the superfantastic everything. Now imagine that you emerged (by caesarian section) from your mother’s womb at 9 lbs, 10 oz. a big baby with big bones, prone to building big muscles. Suppose, even when you were the US size 4 (now the US size 10, trying to get back to US size 8) you always had terrible legs By this I mean: wide feet that many shoes do not fit; thick ankles so that ankle straps often will not do up; calves that no conventional bootmaker can fit; dimpled knees – and for the sake of the Manolo I will draw a veil over what lies above, but it’s not any better.

Here is my question: such a woman might have spent all her life thus far drawing the attention AWAY from the legs. Buying the shoes that were not superfantastic because she did not want anyone to notice the feet. Not, I hasten to say, buying the cheap, ugly shoes, but the shoes that do not make anyone say WOW! Yet here she is in these days post-Sex in the City, when everyone else she knows is crying shoes shoes shoes! Has this woman made a big mistake and she must start paying hundreds and hundreds of the British pounds for the Manolo Blahniks and Jimmy Choos, (which are often too narrow) or should she trust her instincts and stick with the tactic of spending the money on handbags and jewelry?

The short answer of the Manolo is that you must never! Not ever? No never! Give up on the shoes. There are beautiful and alluring shoes for every sort of the foot, even those feets which are perhaps not perfect.

The longer answer it is that these sorts of the questions are so difficult to answer; difficult because the Manolo can sense the emotional anguish behind them. Worse, such questions are depressingly common, as perhaps the majority of the womens believe that their lower extremities are not what they should be.

One must remember that there are always the ways to minimize the physical flaws while still wearing the stylish clothes and shoes.

As the Manolo has noted in the past, if you are the big leg professional woman of the certain age, you may take as one of your stylistic models the Hillary Clinton, whose own flaws are not dissimilar. The Hillary she wears the pants suits with the flowing legs, and she is not, to the mind of the Manolo, unstylish.

As for the shoes, the Manolo is certain that the Furlagirl already knows the sensible advice for the women with the thick ankles: no flats, no ankle straps, no stiletto heels. However, what she perhaps does not know is that increasingly, super fantastic shoes are being made for the thick ankled, wide-feeted women, and that there is now the hope for those who’ve had to in the past suffer.

For the example…

Marcia by the Taryn Rose     Manolo Likes!  Click!
This glamorous shoe from the Taryn Rose has the wide foot bed for the bigger foot and the metallic color and the flowery detail that the Manolo believes are of the moment.

Many times in the past the Manolo has mentioned the shoes of the Taryn Rose, as being suitable for the super fantastic girl with the large feets, and many times in the past some of the friends of the Manolo have complained about them not looking super fantastic, however, it has been the hard won experience of the Manolo that the Taryn Rose are the rare shoes that look much better on the feets than they do in the pictures.

Finally, and as always, the Manolo reminds you that you the proper attitude accounts for perhaps 75% of the mystical quality of attractiveness.

What the Manolo Is…

Manolo says, it is the Tuesday, time to see what the Manolo is…

Reading…

Watching…

Reading…

Listening to…

Glou! glou! glou! je suis le vin!

MAR
2006
28

More Wedges!

Manolo says, the Manolo continues to be obsessed with the wedges. Here are yet two more from the Cynthia Rowley.
The Trader from Cynthia Rowley     Manolo Likes!  Click! The Theron by Cynthia Rowley   Manolo Likes!  Click!
On the left is the Trader which has the tweed covered wedge heel and the most attractive suede uppers. On the right is the Theron which has the wonderfully odd painted cork heels. Are they both not indeed super fantastic?

The Carnivale of Couture #11

Manolo says, the current Carnivale of the Couture it is now available at the Style Tribe blog. It is most amusing.

MAR
2006
27

Malkovich!

Manolo says, Malkovich is pensive!

P.S. Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich

P.P.S. Libeskind is pensive!

MAR
2006
25

Blogging The Project Runway Tour

Manolo says, The Blogging The Project Runway Tour!

Six months ago Blogging the Project Runway blog did not exist.

But then the Laura K. put together the most basic site in which she collected the links to the news articles and shared her love of the Project Runway. Within the few short weeks, her site became the number one place on the internets for the Project Runway, and the fans flocked to read the amusing mix of information and opinion she had assembled.

Before long, she was even corresponding with the designers and with the magnificent Tim Gunn!

And now, look at this, she and her internet friends have arranged the tour of their favorite Project Runway sites, including the sanctum sanctorum, the Tim Gunn’s office at the Parsons! (The Manolo imagines that as the heavy twin doors swing open on soundless hinges the single shaft of light illiuminates the gilded throne on which the master sits, while in the background subtle angelic fanfare mingles with the soft music of cooing doves.)

Such things as this tour they are the reason why the Manolo is completely in love with the blogging, and why he believes that it has the power to change the relationship between entertainment and the entertained. Indeed, it has already happened.