MANOLO BLAHNIK OPENS FIRST WEST COAST BOUTIQUE AT SOUTH COAST PLAZA

BY BOOTH MOORE

Shoes fit for a queen arrive at the “jewel in the crown of luxury”

December 1, 2025

After decades of adoration from Hollywood and fashion’s elite, Manolo Blahnik has finally landed in California. The British luxury shoemaker, synonymous with elegance and craft has opened its first West Coast boutique at South Coast Plaza.

It’s a significant milestone for the brand beloved by Princess Diana, Rihanna and Sarah Jessica Parker, who famously said in “Sex and the City,” “I’m getting married. To myself. And I’m registered at Manolo Blahnik.” It’s easy to see why that could be the case. With their silk brocades, jeweled buckles and sculptural heels, Manolo Blahnik’s designs blend old-world sophistication with fantasy, referencing fine art, history, architecture, and literature with influences ranging from the Rococo and Regency eras to Surrealism and modern prep.

The label now brings its artistry to California’s most prestigious shopping destination.“

“South Coast Plaza is the jewel in the crown of luxury in housing the best of the best in the most incredible location,” said brand CEO Kristina Blahnik, who is the niece of the founder. “It’s owned by a family as well, which always resonates with us. And the uncompromising eye for detail — even the flowers and the plantings. We’re very proud to be in amongst the houses that are there.”

A DYNAMIC GALLERY

The store itself reflects Manolo Blahnik’s devotion to design. “Manolo has always been drawn to Josef Hoffmann, and it has elements of his sensibility,” the executive said, referencing the Austrian modernist architect whose clean lines and geometric motifs have long inspired her uncle.

Inside, the store is conceived as a living gallery. “The most important part is that there is constant dynamism in the display,” she explained. “So wherever possible, we don’t use shelves, but folding slats that support one shoe facing forward. It allows us to tell stories differently, like a musical score with rhythm and pace.”

She sees the design not just as retail, but as storytelling, allowing the customer to discover the craftsmanship of each shoe. “By creating these dynamic spaces I feel that we’re doing the best service to Manolo’s babies.”

The store will carry crystal dusted satin Carolyn slingbacks ready for a holiday soiree, red suede Alo mules with artful knitted details, and sharply-cut Minza black patent leather peep-toes inspired by photographer Irving Penn’s “Platinum Series.” It will offer the Splendid Blahnik capsule of collectors’ shoes that are exclusive to the brand’s stores. “It’s a very, very small number,” Blahnik said. “It’s only about 30 pairs. And they will be curated to be specific to Orange County and California.”

❝

South Coast Plaza is the jewel in the crown of luxury in housing the best of the best in the most incredible location.

❞

KRISTINA BLAHNIK, CEO, MANOLO BLAHNIK

THE YEAR OF MARIE ANTOINETTE

While new stores have kept her busy this year, Blahnik also oversaw the brand’s headline-making sponsorship of Marie Antoinette at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum — the blockbuster exhibition open through March 22, 2026 celebrating the style and influence of one of history’s most fascinating queens.

“About 18 months ago, we got approached just for a loan of the shoes,” she recalled of the museum’s ask for styles Manolo designed for Sofia Coppola’s 2006 “Marie Antoinette” film. “When I saw that come through, I immediately threw myself at it, because this was one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities you cannot ignore,” she said.

“This was more than a project. This was a serendipitous moment where one of Manolo’s favorite historical figures and icons and muses was coming to his adopted home in London. I know that I would have done my uncle a disservice had we not gone straight in. So this is so important for us to be supporting in the maximum way that we can.”

The result, she said, is “breathtaking.” “The exhibition is beyond anything I could have wished for or imagined,” Blahnik said. “There are only, I think, about 15 portraits of her done in her lifetime, and I would say half, if not more are there in the exhibition…The objects — some have never left Versailles before.”

Antoinette “would have worn Manolo, for sure,” she smiled.

A FAMILY LEGACY OF ART AND CURIOSITY

An accomplished architect, Kristina Blahnik has led the family business since 2013, guiding it into a new era of measured expansion while preserving its artisanal soul. Her uncle, Manolo, 82, remains the house’s creative heart — a figure of near-mythic devotion to beauty, history, and craft who has been designing shoes since 1970, after being encouraged to do so by the legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland.

“It’s his curiosity and his unlimited desire to learn about everything around him,” she said of his brilliance. “He is a complete academic in so many historical eras, moments, people, because he tirelessly studies and reads and consumes and visits galleries and museums and exhibitions whenever he can. And it’s that curiosity that allows him to be so prolific in his creativity.”

She added, “He never stops. Even when things are tough, he just keeps going. And when he’s tired, he keeps going. It’s an incredible work ethic — if you want to make this work, you’re responsible.”

As for what’s next, Blahnik said the company will “be a little bit quieter next year.” But she promised that the new California store will be a focus. “I know that we’re going to be creating incredible things with South Coast Plaza,” she said. “We’ve got a few projects up our sleeves.”