New York has always evoked a great sense of excitement for me. What I love most about the city is the energy of its eclectic people. On one of my very first trips, I met the legendary Diana Vreeland, who was then editor-in-chief of Vogue. I was armed with my portfolio of theatrical sketches and in a complete state of nerves. She took one look, zeroed in on a sandal decorated with ivy and cherries, and said: “Focus on the extremities, young man! Do shoes!” Her advice changed my life forever and set me on a path that I am still walking today.
It is a city of endless possibilities, and it was here that I crossed paths with so many extraordinary people – Bianca Jagger, Tina Chow, Andy Warhol, Perry Ellis, Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, and Anna Wintour, to name a few – whose collaboration ignited a fascination that has never subsided.
In many ways it was New York that first discovered me, and I have never forgotten that. It was here that the Hangisi took hold – a shoe that would take on a life of its own entirely, finding its way into the hearts and wardrobes of women all over the world. And it is here on Madison Avenue that our flagship now stands – a dazzling home for our men’s and women’s collections, inspired by the glamour of old Hollywood.
I will always have an affection for New York. Even in the chaos, it is a city of creativity, energy, and limitless opportunity – and I adore it.
Map key:
1 Manolo Blahnik
Opened in 2021, the Manolo Blahnik New York flagship is a spectacular home for the brand’s men’s and women’s collections. Designed by Blahník in collaboration with interior designer David Thomas, the store’s two shops are connected by an interior archway lined with archival sketches. Peacock-blue shelving, rare Murano chandeliers, and a brass-topped bar make this one of the city’s most glamorous retail destinations.
717 Madison Avenue, 10065
2 The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Few museums on Earth can match the Met’s scale or ambition. Its collections span 5,000 years of human creativity across more than two million works. Kristina Blahník vividly recalls seeing Abraham Lincoln’s bespoke Brooks Brothers coat in the Costume Institute.
1000 Fifth Avenue, 10028
3 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim gleams like a white seashell against a skyline of skyscrapers. Walking its serpentine ramps and gazing up through the glass oculus, past Kandinskys, Picassos, and Pollocks, remains a thrill – a testament to Frank Lloyd Wright’s design genius. Manolo Blahník adores the architecture, art, and experience in equal measure.
1071 Fifth Avenue, 10128
4 Central Park Conservatory Garden & Bethesda Terrace
(There’s nothing quite like a walk through these two Central Park destinations on a sunny day. Come spring, the Conservatory Garden dazzles with perfectly trimmed hedges, multicolored tulips, and blooming pink crab apple trees. Meanwhile, Bethesda Terrace exudes Italianate charm; Manolo Blahník calls the walk from its iconic fountain to his Madison Avenue shop “just divine.”
Fifth Avenue and 105th Street, 10029; Bethesda Terrace is mid-park at 72nd
5 Cooper Hewitt
Part of the Smithsonian Institution, Cooper Hewitt is housed in the majestic Carnegie Mansion and celebrates over a century of design, from textiles and typography to wallpaper, technology, and furniture. Memorable exhibitions have included one dedicated to American style in the Jazz Age and another exploring the science of color. A rarity in the permanent collection is “Shoes,” a wallpaper tiled with Andy Warhol’s colorful images of 1980s pumps.
2 East 91st Street, 10128
6 Café Sabarsky
A New York institution, Café Sabarsky, tucked inside the Neue Galerie, is a cozy, wood-clad nook celebrated for its early 20th-century Viennese style, featuring Josef Hoffmann lighting and Adolf Loos furniture. The main draw is its famous Viennese cakes and pastries, from apple strudel to sachertorte, while those with a savory palate are spoiled for choice with the city’s best goulash and spätzle.
1048 Fifth Avenue, 10028
7 The Frick Collection
The Frick’s intimate setting lets visitors experience the splendor of its collections up close. Dedicated to European fine and decorative arts from the Renaissance to the early 20th century, it is a feast for the senses. Ornate Boulle furniture, majestic Gainsborough paintings, impeccably decorated Qing dynasty ceramics, masterfully engraved Breguet pocket watches, and the ephemeral clouds of Constable are all part of its permanent collection.
1 East 70th Street, 10021
8 Strand Bookstore
A studious bookworm, Manolo Blahník loves nothing more than to peruse the Strand’s aisles. “I have so many I don’t know where to put them anymore – soon I will be buried alive in books!” he says of his sprawling library. The giant literary landmark that is the Strand Bookstore at 828 Broadway is a favorite, perhaps unsurprisingly, given its “18 miles of books” promise, which carries 2.5 million used, new, and rare books to keep him endlessly occupied.
828 Broadway at 12th Street, 10003
9 The Metropolitan Opera House
A majestic 1960s Modernist juggernaut, the opera house is unrivaled when it comes to grandiose productions. Its 3,800-seat auditorium, lit by “Sputnik” chandeliers, hosts over 200 performances each season. Classic masterpieces pack a theatrical punch, while daring contemporary productions push the boundaries with stunning cinematic staging.
30 Lincoln Center Plaza, 10023
10 Kiehl’s
Few skincare brands can claim roots as deep as Kiehl’s, founded as a family apothecary in New York’s East Village in 1851. The Upper West Side store on Columbus Avenue carries that same spirit of heritage and craft – blending an apothecary ambiance with state-of-the-art technology, including an instant skin reader and consultation service. Manolo Blahník has been a devotee since the 1970s.
154 Columbus Avenue, 10023
11 Bemelmans Bar
With its charming old-world aura, Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel is the perfect spot to unwind with a Manhattan or two. The walls are decorated with playful murals by Ludwig Bemelmans, the illustrator of the Madeline children’s books, while nightly live piano and jazz performances complete this warm and cocooning ambiance.
35 East 76th Street, 10021
12 Peter Harrington
Peter Harrington’s brand-new outpost recreates the magic of the family’s original bookshop in Chelsea, London. Manolo Blahník is delighted by the expansion, the original store being one of his favorite shops in the world. Collectors can pick up first editions by James Joyce, Daphne du Maurier, Virginia Woolf, and Lewis Carroll, while five-figure rarities by Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Galileo are also available for serious collectors.
35 East 67th Street, Third Floor, 10065
13 T. Anthony
Manolo Blahník has long favored T. Anthony’s bright red luggage – effortlessly chic and crafted to make a striking impression at arrivals. This heritage brand offers perfectly proportioned totes, carry-ons, trunks, and duffel bags in luxurious canvas trimmed with leather, each piece lightweight, streamlined, and impeccably elegant.
107 East 57th Street, 10022
14 Morgan Library & Museum
Assembled by financier J.P. Morgan, this romantic library has impressive three-tiered floor-to-ceiling walnut bookshelves, a Renaissance-style painted ceiling, 16th-century tapestry, and secret spiral staircases. Amongits rare treasures are the manuscript for Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Ravel’s Boléro score, and Newton’s notebook. Discuss all these wonders and more in the café, set within Renzo Piano’s glass-roofed central court.
225 Madison Avenue, 10016
15 Monkey Bar
This Midtown bar is all about unwinding and indulging. Classic cocktails, including nine martinis, are paired with fare like the signature king crab rangoon. Art Deco interiors feature red leather banquettes and lamplit tables. Manolo Blahník likes to enjoy a “long fashion lunch with dear friends” here, and he’s in good company. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker, and Fred Astaire are among the luminaries immortalized in Edward Sorel’s celebrated back-wall mural.
60 East 54th Street, 10022
16 The St. Regis New York
Manolo Blahník’s preferred New York address, The St. Regis has been drawing Manhattan’s most discerning guests since 1904. Its grand marble lobby, crystal chandeliers, and famed “million-dollar” staircase set the tone, while the legendary King Cole Bar – birthplace of the bloody mary – remains one of the city’s most atmospheric cocktail spots. Salvador and Gala Dalí, Babe Paley, and Marlene Dietrich all sojourned here in style.
2 East 55th Street at Fifth Avenue, 10022
Comments