The Rupert Sanderson
Manolo says, the Manolo’s internet friend the Kate Finnigan has written the wonderful article about the hot shoe designer, the Rupert Sanderson. You must immediately go read the whole article, but for the Manolo the Shoeblogger, this is the best part of it.
Instead his energy has been devoted to refining his shoes. From the display shelf in the shop he grabs another Odette (all the shoes are named after varieties of daffodils from an ancient copy of the RHS Classified List of Daffodil Names bought at a car-boot sale and now lying on the table). ‘Four years ago I wouldn’t have been able to do this,’ he says, unable to hide his admiration for the craftsmanship of the simple, contemporary court shoe in his hand.
‘I’d have thought, “Where’s the money in that? Who’s gonna want to buy a pair of shoes that don’t have something tricksy about them?” In fact, the whole thing is to pare it down and work on the fit, the length and shape of the last. Rather than thinking you have to put something on it, you have to take something away. You use the foot as decoration. To my mind, sticking something on isn’t great shoe-making.’
Yes, shouts the Manolo!
Finally, the shoe designer who has come to understand that less can indeed be more.
This is what makes the Maestro Manolo Blahnik the genius that he is. He knows that what is most important is the line of the shoe, the shape and the ratios of the proportions, not the fancy-tacky geegaws which many designers pile onto their shoes.
Now we see that another designer has learned this eternal truth, that one should seek the idealized Platonic form, and eschew the gimcrackery of the tasteless ornamentation.
And what is the result of this desire? Beauty, truth. Truth, beauty.
Elegant in their simplicity, beautiful in their elegance. This is what the humble shoeblogger seeks in the shoes.
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Comments
cassandra 17 years ago
Those green shoes are the most beautiful thing I have seen all day. Gorgeous!!
jenny 17 years ago
Now these are the true shoes of gold!
faye 17 years ago
those mary janes are to die for! where can I purchase them?
faye 17 years ago
taking away to show more of the foot? hasn’t that been the louboutin philosphy since the beginning of time?
Nadia 17 years ago
Manolo! These shoes are beautiful…they’re beautiful and refined-looking in these photos so I can only imagine what they must look like when actually worn.
Toby Wollin 17 years ago
A shoe designer who actually knows how to make shoes himself. I’m sure Mr. Blahnik is another. I only wish people like this would design shoes for my poor, wide, size 6 feet.
Doralong 17 years ago
Oh my… the very embodiment of visceral shoe lust!
Natashia 17 years ago
Absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for turning me on to yet another great designer :)
Ditto to Doralong ;)
Dakiwiboid 17 years ago
Oh, dear. All three of those pairs of shoes would hurt my feet. Pretty to look at, impossible to wear. Two are too high, the other one would drive me nuts with the thong between the toes. Sigh. Again, “beauty” and comfort exclude one another.
17 years ago
Dakiwiboid – if you follow the link, there’s some lower heeled versions of that same Mary Jane…