Manolo Blahnik was an insider secret for 25 years before 'Manolos'
Manolo Blahnik was a designer's secret for 25 years before he was a household name. He opened his London shop, Zapata, in 1973, dressing the fashion insiders who knew. Then in 1998, a TV character put his shoes on prime time and 'Manolos' entered the language. Same shoes, suddenly everyone knew the name.