Dressed

Manolo Blahnik Creates Dramatic Backstories for Each of His Couture Shoes, You Have to Hear Them!

You know how some really dedicated actors will dream up elaborate backstories for their characters to help their performance? Turns out Manolo Blahnik does the same things when he's creating his exquisitely droolworthy couture heels. In an interview with Business of Fashion, the legendary shoe designer shares that each and every single one of his couture designs is "born" in his head with a full-blown bio, even before he starts sketching (with Chinese brushes as opposed to, say, a pencil, of course). And let's just say that these stories are pretty worthy of their own R-rated telenovelas. Sample story: "She is from Dar es Salaam and she has left her husband who beats her, and is now on the way to the station where she will get onto the train that will bring her to her lover's arms and freedom." Next, his stream-of-consciousness story behind a wedge heel: "This is for a woman from Rio. So Carmen Miranda! Very passionate, a little vulgar, but always laughing and ready for fun. She loves the raffia roses on the heels. They make her feel free to spend all of her husband's money…This is borderline Liz Taylor on a bad day…This woman is

You know how some really dedicated actors will dream up elaborate backstories for their characters to help their performance? Turns out Manolo Blahnik does the same things when he's creating his exquisitely droolworthy couture heels. In an interview with Business of Fashion, the legendary shoe designer shares that each and every single one of his couture designs is "born" in his head with a full-blown bio, even before he starts sketching (with Chinese brushes as opposed to, say, a pencil, of course).

And let's just say that these stories are pretty worthy of their own R-rated telenovelas.

Sample story: "She is from Dar es Salaam and she has left her husband who beats her, and is now on the way to the station where she will get onto the train that will bring her to her lover's arms and freedom."

Next, his stream-of-consciousness story behind a wedge heel: "This is for a woman from Rio. So Carmen Miranda! Very passionate, a little vulgar, but always laughing and ready for fun. She loves the raffia roses on the heels. They make her feel free to spend all of her husband's money…This is borderline Liz Taylor on a bad day…This woman is a little prim—like Edinburgh…This sandal is for a beautiful Italian girl…"

If you haven't already gathered, Manolo is a serious movie buff.

Let's play a game! What's your backstory for the above fall 2014, non-couture tassel-y heel? I'm feeling small-town girl runs to the big city and joins a burlesque troupe. Seriously, though, did you expect Manolo Blahnik to create such dramatic bios for his couture designs?