Fashion
British luxury footwear brand founded when Spanish designer Manolo Blahnik acquired a Chelsea boutique called Zapata with a £2,000 loan. Blahnik began designing shoes for Ossie Clarks runway shows in 1971 and built a following among the fashion elite before the brand became a cultural phenomenon through its association with the television series Sex and the City. The company remains privately owned and family-run, with the founder serving as creative director and his niece Kristina Blahnik as CEO since 2013. All footwear is handcrafted in Italy.