Manolo Blahnik Feared For Career

7 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.

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

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!"

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."