Manolo the Shoeblogger is not Manolo Blahnik!
Manolo says, for the thousandth time, the Manolo the Shoeblogger, he is not the Maestro Manolo Blahnik. The humble Manolo the Shoeblogger, he is barely worthy to shine the most super fantastic shoes of the Manolo Blahnik.
Look, this confusion it is even mentioned in the opening paragraphs in the fascinating article about the Maestro Manolo Blahnik today in Times of the London.
It’s a good thing that I checked with Lesley, Manolo BlahnÃk’s trusted press secretary and right-hand woman, that Manolo, sorry Mr BlahnÃk (she calls him this), isn’t in fact the same Manolo who described John Galliano in his online blog as a “freaky little fashion trollâ€, or captioned a picture of Hugh Hefner looking old in a Hawaiian shirt with the words “someone call the coronerâ€. That Manolo, says Lesley, is an impostor, some guy in New York who is obsessed with shoes and uses the pseudonym “Manolo the Shoeblogger†to launch his bitchy sartorial bombs.
Although Lesley is understandably concerned about this issue, when she broke the news I thought it a bit of a shame. Recently a journalist attributed Manolo the Shoeblogger’s thoughts on Gérard Depardieu (“he is slovenly and outwardly repulsiveâ€) to Manolo the Shoemaker, and I had been looking forward to meeting this rare creature, a straight-talking famous person.
Ayyyy! The Manolo the Shoeblogger he is indeed distressed to think that others may be confusing the Manolo with the Maestro Manolo Blahnik. Yes, both the Manolo and the Manolo Blahnik are named the “Manolo” (which it is the very common Spanish name), and yes both the Manolo and the Manolo Blahnik love the shoes, but there the similarity it mostly ends.
So, to recap, the Manolo the Shoeblogger he is not the Manolo Blahnik.
Update! Here is the best quote in the entire article, from the Maestro Manolo Blahnik himself!
“Manolo the Shoeblogger? Sorry, not me. But it’s very funny, isn’t it? Hilarious!â€
Ayyyyyy! Such praise! The Shoeblogger is hyperventilating!
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Comments
shoelover 19 years ago
Me thinks that Ms. Lesley should be a little “less bitchy” towards Manolo the Shoeblogger.
Especially since we are giving a way a pair of Manolo’s at the end of November.
I would hate to think we are funding unkind words. But hey, at least you made the London Times
xoxo
Mary 19 years ago
But the Manolo, he does not post the most important part of the interview, the Maestro’s opinion of the blog of the shoes!
“Manolo the Shoeblogger? Sorry, not me. But it’s very funny, isn’t it? Hilarious!â€
Surely, to hear this the Manolo says, “Ayyyyyyyyyy!”
Sue 19 years ago
How mean of them to call you an imposter when you never tried to imitate anyone!
You are exceedingly original and I couldn’t live without your blog.
Again I say, How mean!!
Fausta 19 years ago
The Leslie, she’s just an idiot.
Fausta 19 years ago
Make that the Lesley.
paShoeBloggers 19 years ago
Ah, but all publicity is good publicity, no?
Victoria O 19 years ago
Some people just don’t get it.
:O)
The Charlotte Allen 19 years ago
Of course, there is a certain similarity of taste. From the Manolo B. story:
“The director Luchino Visconti, for example, gets three thumps (he is an obsessive cinephile), while trainers gets two: ‘These hideous trainers! They’re smelly, horrid. Sorry. I keep going on about these modern shoes because they’re not very pretty. I can’t stand these Jesus sandals, all this kind of rubber. Euw! Rubber makes perspiration and is very unhealthy. I don ’t like it. The foot is pushed into this kind of little . . . ugh. Oooh. No, no!’
Could Manolo B. be channeling Manolo the Shoeblogger?
tweedles 19 years ago
Really, Lesley does not know, it could have been Alexander McQueen typing “bitchy sartorial bombs” and she would have been humbly humbled if she had said that. Because the Manolo is a humble shoeblogger, he is regarded too lightly by others who would do well to read more into a person than his name. Especially “press-secretaries”.
Penny 19 years ago
Manolo the Maestro may be an artistic genius, but I think many of us would rather have lunch with Manolo the Shoeblogger.
Diva Leigh 19 years ago
The Diva Leigh is in agreement with the Shoelover that we could do with a smidge less bitchiness from the Lesley. Whom does she imagines buys the shoes her boss designs, if not the shoe-obsessed. I am not quite sure what a “satorial bomb” is, but the Manolo the Shoeblogger merely speaks the truth. And that is as it should be.
La Retrosessuale 19 years ago
The *bitchy* sartorial bombs? Sassy and smart is more like it! Who else would find the perfect description of the Donald Trump in the Suetonius? Nobody but Manolo the Shoeblogger!!
Annalucia 19 years ago
“… I think many of us would rather have lunch with Manolo the Shoeblogger.”
Indeed. In fact, were the Annalucia to meet Maestro Blahnik, she would have no idea what to say to him. “Alas good sir, the Annalucia cannot wear your shoes; the sharply pointed toe, the spike heel three-and-one-half-inches in height, and the price tag of the four figures, they militate against her” ? It would be an awkward beginning, and what would be the reply? “Get thee to Payless, unworthy creature!” No, no. At least with Manolo the Shoeblogger one would be assured of witty and good-humored conversation as well as the human sympathy for the lady of the Certain Age, with the feet of A Certain Width.
jcc 19 years ago
If Ms. Lesley, or the reporter, were to look, they would see the thoughful disclaimer posted at various points on this web page. Is that not a journalist’s duty, to research the facts?
Texasexile 19 years ago
Though I am the possessor of many shoes of the Manolo Blahnik [purchased on sale – natch] my heart is with our Manolo for he, like Pucci, brings the smiles.
toad 19 years ago
I have seen the Manolo praise the Manolo B. shoe and point the way to the purchase the shoe. The Leslie B. apparently does not understand to not bark and bite at the hand that feeds her masters business.
Extraneus 19 years ago
I was once in something of a debate with my lady friend about this very same thing quite a while ago, and it turned out she was 100% right. (We emailed THE Manolo for mediation.) Incidentally, she did buy me a book entitled “Manolo Blahnik Drawings” during my confusion phase, which is actually pretty interesting.
desertwind 19 years ago
You are so too “worthy to shine the most super fantastic shoes of the Manolo Blahnik.”
elayne 19 years ago
I could be wrong, but the way I’m reading the story, it doesn’t sound like *Lesley* is the one sniping at The Manolo. It sounds like the author of the story is the one making the bitchy remarks… The way I’m reading it, all Lesley said is that The Manolo isn’t Mr. Blahnik; then the author clarified the distinction, adding her own personal (small-minded) spin. I have a hunch that Mr. Blahnik wouldn’t employ, as his PR spokeswoman and right hand person, someone who’d use the words “some guy … who is obsessed with shoes” and “bitchy sartorial bombs” in a press release. Judging by his shoes, Mr. Blahnik has – and demands – a bit more class than that.
And I agree with whoever pointed out that for someone claiming to be a journalist, the author might want to polish up her reading skills, because it’s only on EVERY SINGLE PAGE that The Manolo isn’t Manolo Blahnik. Sheesh.
Trashy and Classy 19 years ago
Did somebody throw a BF?
kd 19 years ago
mais.. je ne comprends pas … le Depardieu c’est ne pas un BEAST?? Et “slovenly” et tous le repous.
KathyJo 19 years ago
She’s an idiot. Being an impostor is quite a bit different from having a pseudonym.
And if she had done any research, she would know that the phrase is “funky little fashion troll.”
Bet she wears flip-flops.
Moi ;) 19 years ago
The idea of fun, it is foreign to the reporter and to the Lesley. How sad, says Moi.
Lorelyn 19 years ago
That Lesley needs to learn to choose her words carefully especially when she is THE right hand of Mr. Blahnik himself and if anything, she should be happy that Manolo the Shoe Blogger loves shoes so much and he choose to showcase Mr. Blahnik wonderful shoes in this blog, it is like getting a free advertisement for Mr. Blahnik, not that Mr. Blahnik needs to do additional shoe campaign, the girls from Sex and The City did a fine job so therefore, the money saved, in some minute way, is helping pay for the salary of that Lesley.
Mr. Blahnik should be flattered that someone loves his shoes so much enough to blog about it.
To Manolo the Shoe Blog, we know you are not Manolo Blahnik, but we love you anyway.
Ava 19 years ago
All I can say, is thank god for both The Manolos….lol