Inside Manolo Blahnik's London exhibition -

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Manolo Blahnik exhibition - Wallace Collection

Milo Osborn

The Small Drawing Room looks at how the theatre and bright costumes of the Commedia dell'Arte inspired the designer.

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Milo Osborn

Blahnik has an appreciation for the ornate Boulle wardrobes that dominate the Large Drawing Room, the textures of which have influenced some of his designs on display.

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3Milo Osborn

The beautiful shoes designed by Blahnik for Sofia Coppola's film, Marie Antoinette, are displayed in the Oval Drawing Room. They're seen alongside two famed romantic paintings, Fragonard's Swing and Boucher's Mme Pompadour, both of which evoke images of 18th century Paris.

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4Milo Osborn

The link between Blahnik's candy-coloured slippers and Fragonard's Swing is all too clear.

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5Milo Osborn

Colour, texture and drama are all signatures of Blahnik, and here some of his creations sit next to great Western artworks including Hals' Laughing Cavalier and Rubens' Rainbow Landscape.

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6Milo Osborn

The shoes on display in the Great Gallery were personally chosen by Blahnik himself to reflect the essence of his taste and artistry.

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7Milo Osborn

In the Great Gallery, the most delicate and beautiful of shoes appear next to truly iconic paintings, spanning Velázquez and Rubens.

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8Milo Osborn

The designer poses in one of the museum's stately rooms.

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9Harper's Bazaar

Our limited-edition June issue cover, featuring Blahnik's sketch of the Bricamina ankle boot, is available to buy exclusively at the Wallace Collection until 1 September.

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