Blahnik by Boman: Shoes, Photographs, Conversation

Book Description
Long before their supporting role in Sex and the City, Manolo Blahnik’s shoes were legendary—exquisitely detailed, unabashedly luxurious, and impossibly sexy. The epitome of sophistication and taste, they have graced the feet of royalty, supermodels, and movie stars. In these breathtaking pictures by Blahnik’s longtime friend, photographer Eric Boman, the shoes take center stage in a dazzling array of intriguing and often lighthearted scenes and settings.  A white leather stiletto plays an incriminating role in a suggested crime worthy of Hitchcock. A pale green mule nestles among ferns in homage to Blahnik’s recurring botanical themes. The straps of a sandal echo the strands of spaghetti in which it lays entwined. Boman’s unerring eye and oddly keen understanding of Blahnik’s creations make for spellbinding pictures, full of wit, playfulness, and sole. Elegant allusions to Blahnik’s eclectic influences abound—from the cinema to history, from the natural world to art and literature. As covetable as a pair of Manolos, this is a book of consummate creativity, addictive power, and unrivaled individuality: a cult object on a cult designer.

About the Author Manolo Blahnik was born in the Canary Islands. He studied at the University of Geneva before moving to Paris and then London to work as a set designer. On a trip to New York in 1971, Blahnik was sent to show his sketches to legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who famously suggested, “You should do shoes.” He lives in England. Eric Boman, originally from Sweden, has worked in London, Paris, and New York for, among others, Vogue, Marie-Claire, Yves Saint-Laurent, Vanity Fair, The World of Interiors, and House & Garden. Since 1988, he has increasingly explored art photography and still-lifes. He lives in New York.

Here is what some readers had to say about the book…

 “I am a photographer and also a high heels collector. There is a project in my mind since one year ago, I want to creat a book to present the art of high heel design, just like this book. I have many ideals. However when I saw this book, I think I need new ideals, or my friend will think that my work is just a copy. I will rate 4 to 4.5 stars to this book.”

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“I have a huge collection of fashion books - both artistic and historical. A friend just gave this to me for our holiday gift-exchange at work, and I am absolutely overwhelmed! The images are completely striking - strange, beautiful, odd, a little disturbing, and usually quite witty. Some have made me laugh out loud, while others send a chill down my spine. Of course, Blahnik’s shoes speak from themselves as works of art, however the way that Boman has juxtaposed them will the different set-ups or mise-en-scene is truly wonderful. If only we could have such still lifes in the odd spaces of our homes! This book will be a great addition for any fashionista/art lover, and will be the most talked-about *objet* at your next gathering…ENJOY!!!”

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This looks so awesome! 

My shoes are not fashion, they are gestures ~  Manolo Blahnik’s