Manolo Blahnik Feared For Career

3 months ago 04th Aug 08:30

Manolo Blahnik thought his career was over when his shoes were first featured in a runway show.

The legendary footwear designer was devastated when Ossie Clark decided to use his creations in 1972 as he didn't think the shoes were made well enough.

He explained: "Ossie was the first person to use my shoes on his catwalk, back in 1972 at The Royal Court Theatre in London. Quite frankly, I thought it was going to end my career. The shoes I made for the show had a sole made of rubber and the heels didn't have any spines, so they kept moving. The models were walking in a very strange way, but, luckily, people thought it was the new way of walking. That was a scary moment!"

The models were walking in a very strange way, but, luckily, people thought it was the new way of walking

Manolo - who has a host of celebrity fans, with Madonna once describing his footwear as "better than sex" - was discussing his experiences in the industry ahead of the 25th anniversary of London Fashion Week in September.

He admits he draws a lot of inspiration from the capital city, but claims Fashion Week has changed lots since it first began.

He explained to Britain's Marie Claire magazine: "The early fashion weeks were more intimate and naive than they are now - everyone was excited about being creative, rather than thinking of the money they might make."