Manolo Blahnik Toasts 30 Years of the Iconic Mary Jane in New York + How Kate Moss Made It the ‘Shoe of Desire’
Katie Abel
Executive Editor
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Manolo Blahnik has created some of the most enduring shoe silhouettes during his more than five decades at the center of luxury footwear. And this year, the designer’s iconic Mary Jane — which has become a pop culture mainstay — turns 30.
Who can forget the “urban shoe myth” scene in “Sex and the City” when Carrie Bradshaw visits the Vogue accessories closet and unexpectedly discovers the Mary Jane? Or Margot Robbie’s turn in them during a memorable scene in the “Wolf of Wall Street.”
The woman who wore it best through the years? Hands down, Kate Moss, said CEO Kristina Blahnik, during an interview at the Greenhouse at Nine Orchard, where the label toasted the Mary Jane on Tuesday night. The evening included an intimate dinner and special performance by Dianna Agron.
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“She’s the one who made it the shoe of desire,” added house archivist Jamie Prieto. After modeling the look in the August 1994 edition of British Vogue, “[Kate] called and said, ‘I only want two shoes for next season, a black and a white pair of Mary Janes,” Prieto recalled.
Mr. Blahnik, who was already enjoying a summer break in the Canary Islands, said he originally envisioned the style as a minimalist piece after spending the early 1990s focused on Baroque designs. “It started off with the idea of a classic Mary Jane, but then I made it sexy: pointed toe, high heel – and in black patent with a grosgrain trim,” said the shoe legend, who has always been focused on the details, big and small.
While the Mary Jane is firmly in the spotlight this week, the label is emphasizing a number of other key silhouettes that have stood the test of time, including the Carolyne slingback pump, the Maysale mule, the BB pump, the Susa flat sandal and the Chaos ankle-strap sandal in the women’s collection.
“There is such refinement. From a distance I can immediately tell these shoes are ours. We’ve always gone back to these silhouettes,” said Kristina Blahnik. “They have a slightly different shape to them.”
Now as the label forges ahead with global expansion — with a particular focus on Asia and the U.S. — its icons have never been more important, the CEO said.
“It’s telling the stories behind the objects. It’s about embedding them in the past, present and the future,” she said. “This is a moment to reflect on what is the simplest form of the most beautiful object, the best of the best.”
As the company continues to grow its men’s business, several of those styles are also part of the emphasis on silhouettes, including the Perry loafers, the Mario slip-on, the Carlton loafer, the Witney oxford and the Semando sneaker.
