What happens when you put your comfy summer slip-on shoes, none other than espadrilles, together with the refined elegance of Manolo Blahnik heels? A surprisingly cute take on heeled espadrilles! We’re quite surprised we actually like it actually, since it does elevate the look of a typical espadrille (quite literally), while having linen fabric and jute makes the stiletto silhouette surprisingly casual. This team up is by way of the Castañer by Manolo Blahník collection, where the two major shoe brands combined their craftsmanship and passion into new, unexpected styles.
It also happens that the collection celebrates 90 years of Castañer’s shoemaking legacy, a brand that’s known for popularising the humble espadrille style, all the way to the ranks of high fashion. If you’re not too familiar with the shoe style, espadrilles are casual shoes that have a canvas upper and soles made of natural fibre, sometimes with laces that are wrapped around the ankle — which makes them the perfect wear for Summer, especially at the beach or paired with flouncy dresses.
The dressed-up version in this capsule collection though is slightly different. Available in two different lines — Manolo by Day and Manolo by Night — the flat espadrille happens to have an accentuated pointed front, while instead of the classic wedge heel styles, we get Mr Blahník’s traditional stiletto heel in two different heights, designed to give a truly balanced look. All the shoes include the ankle tie and use of jute for their soles, while you’ll also be assured that premium materials, colours, and finishing details are used throughout the collection. We wouldn’t expect anything less, really, for the handcrafted pieces.
The day collection sees the use of jute in its natural tone, and is applied on the heel, structure and sole, along with linen fabric and laces. These come in classic colours such as black, grey and natural, though you’ll also find a bright red and mint/red colour combination. As for the Night versions, these are in the more luxe shades of ruby red, mink, onyx, sapphire, toffee and emerald, while the linen uppers are now crafted from satin. The shoes also have a pleasing monochrome palette, right down to the jute sole.
The Castañer by Manolo Blahník collection, from $490 for flats to $690 for heels, is available exclusively at the Castañer store, #03-14, Takashimaya Shopping Centre.
You must be logged in to post a comment.