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Manolo Blahnik and the Wallace Collection have teamed up to create an unmissable exhibition opening on 10 June. The display will feature archive shoe designs alongside the museum’s masterpieces.
Blahnik, a keen art and culture aficionado, has been a long-standing fan of the Wallace Collection and uses it a source of inspiration for his ever-popular work. Each room will reflect a particular theme associated with the designer’s work, from the theatre and spectacle of the Commedia dell’arte to 18th-century Rococo style.
“The Wallace Collection has been a point of reference for me since my early days in London,” said Blahnik. “It was – and remains – one of my favourite museums with the most refined selection of art. I am incredibly humbled and honoured to be a part of the project and have my work displayed at the museum.”
The brand’s shoes will stand alongside paintings, sculptures and historic furniture to highlight Blahnik’s wide inspirations. The candy-coloured shoes designed for Sofia Coppola’s award-winning film Marie Antoinette will be seen alongside Fragonard’s Swing and Boucher’s Mme de Pompadour, while his yellow jewel-encrusted heels will be exhibited next to diamond-mounted gold boxes and delicately painted miniatures of the Wallace Collection’s Boudoir Cabinet.
“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to showcase the way in which the Wallace Collection has inspired one of the world’s greatest fashion minds,” said Wallace Collection director Dr Xavier Bray. “It also enables our audiences to see the collection in a new light and make connections between the many artistic disciplines to be found in the museum.”
An Enquiring Mind: Manolo Blahnik at the Wallace Collection will run from 10 June – 1 September 2019
