Fit for a Queen: Manolo Blahnik's Tribute to Marie Antoinette at the V&A

By Alexus Mosley

Manolo Blahnik at the 'Marie Antoinette Style' exhibition gala dinner at V&A

Image Credit: Dave Benett

Few muses in fashion history rival Marie Antoinette. The French queen’s legacy of excess, romance, and rococo opulence continues to inspire centuries later. Many designers have felt her pull, but none quite like Manolo Blahnik. This fall, Blahnik unveils a new capsule collection of shoes in celebration of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s opening of Marie Antoinette Style, the first major UK exhibition dedicated to the French Queen’s influence.

For Blahnik, the collaboration feels like destiny fulfilled. His fascination with the queen began in childhood, when his mother read aloud Stefan Zweig’s 1932 biography, Marie-Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman. The designer has carried that enchantment throughout his life, finding in Antoinette’s unapologetic devotion to beauty a kindred spirit. “I did have it most of my life, this obsession with Marie Antoinette,” Manolo Blahnik recalls.

Credit: Manolo Blahnik

It’s not the first time he’s stepped into her world. In 2006, Blahnik famously designed around 40 pairs of shoes for Sofia Coppola’s cult-favorite film Marie Antoinette, which reimagined the queen’s wardrobe for a new generation of fashion dreamers. From pastel satin mules to sky-high heels fit for Versailles, his work helped define the film’s playful yet decadent aesthetic.

Credit: Sony Pictures / Courtesy of Everett Collection

The new V&A capsule draws from that same rococo fantasy, translating archival research into eleven contemporary designs, think candy-colored pumps, bow-trimmed sandals, and ornate ankle boots that whisper of powdered wigs and gilded halls. The collection is presented in dialogue with the exhibition itself, where Blahnik’s sketches and past creations appear alongside historic pieces of court dress.

By pairing Versailles inspiration with modern wearability, Blahnik proves that Marie Antoinette’s style isn’t just history, but a living influence, one that continues to charm fashion lovers around the world. The result is a capsule that feels both like a love letter to the past and a playful invitation to embrace beauty without apology.

Because if the queen once declared, “Let them eat cake,” Blahnik reminds us: Let them wear Manolos.