Born to a Czech father and a Spanish mother and raised on a banana plantation, Blahnik graduated from the University of Geneva in 1965 and studied art in Paris. He moved to London in 1968 to work at fashion boutique Zapata and write for Vogue Italia. After showing his portfolio of fashions and set designs to Diana Vreeland, she told him that he should design solely footware. In 1972, Ossie Clark invited him to create shoes for his runway show. With a loan of £2,000, Blahnik bought Zapata from its owner and opened his own boutique.
Blahnik was awarded the honorary title of Commander of the British Empire in 2007 for his service to the British fashion industry.
Impressive isn't it? wait until you see his masterpieces below!
