How Manolo Blahnik Has Been Keeping up His Spirits During Quarantine
Stephanie Hirschmiller
European Editor
Manolo Blahnik shared his quarantine routine with FN — and we’re happy to report he is just like the rest of us.
The designer has been spending his time exercising, reading, cooking and movie watching. And like many people, he has been struggling when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep.
However, the one thing that has been keeping him motivated is his work as a shoe designer — and it all begins with sketching his creations.
While no one can measure up to Blahnik’s sketching mastery, he understands that coloring can be a stress reliever for adults and children alike during these tough times. Earlier in the crisis, he created an adult coloring book featuring 20 templates of his shoe designs. “Smile The Art of Colouring” he said, was conceived “in the hope of providing inspiration and spreading positivity in this time of isolation.”
Here, the designer tells FN about how he is spending his days and nights.
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Quarantine According to Manolo Blahnik:
6:00am -7:00am – Wake up. Of course I don’t sleep very well, especially at the moment.
9:00am – Have some breakfast — two slices of toast, with marmalade, the thick kind from Bonne Maman.
9:30am – Work. Work Work. I spend so much time sketching and designing new shoes, I am not sure if they are good but I like them.
12:00pm – I will go out in the garden and run, it’s my only form of exercise and need to keep as fit as I can.
1pm – Since I have been in this lockdown, I have cooked a lot more. One of my favorites is lentil soup, very light and healthy.
2pm – Back to work and usually one of the ladies from the communications teams calls me about things I have to do.
3pm – More sketching.
6pm – I love to read. I just finished “Selected Letters of Marcel Proust” which was totally marvelous. I am also re-reading some of Gore Vidal’s books — he’s my favorite author of all time.
7pm – Steamed vegetables for dinner, perhaps with some salmon.
8pm – My main diet at the moment is 1930’s films, I adore them — “Show Boat”, “Sin Takes a Holiday”.
10pm – Try to go to sleep, an impossible task.
