Some collaborations feel inevitable. The first partnership between Balenciaga and Manolo Blahnik is one of them—an exchange shaped by shared values rather than novelty and rooted in a mutual reverence for craft and beauty.
Created for Balenciaga’s Fall 2026 collection, the collaboration brings Manolo Blahnik’s five decades of shoemaking expertise into dialogue with the House of Balenciaga’s couture tradition under the creative direction of Pierpaolo Piccioli. Conceived as a creative conversation between Blahnik, Piccioli and the enduring legacy of Cristóbal Balenciaga, the project celebrates a natural synergy of elegance, precision and classicism.
The collaboration comprises three styles: a low-heeled mule and a slingback offered with either a 105mm or 50mm heel. Featuring a décolleté cut, each silhouette reveals the foot and reflects Piccioli’s focus on the primacy of the human form. Drawn from designs in the Manolo Blahnik archive and fused together, the shoes are executed in silk satin, offered in various colourways and lined in Balenciaga grey.
Crystal embroidery across the low-cut vamp defines each style, recalling Blahnik’s signature approach to embellishment and referencing both his own archives and the 1960s bijoux created by Cristóbal Balenciaga. “Don Cristóbal Balenciaga is, to me, the ultimate designer,” said Manolo Blahnik. “To be partnering with Balenciaga, and with Pierpaolo, fulfils a lifelong dream.”
For Kristina Blahnik, CEO of Manolo Blahnik, the collaboration reflects the power of creative exchange. “This partnership speaks to the artistry of shoemaking, where heritage becomes a foundation for innovation,” she noted. The result is a debut collaboration that feels assured and timeless—an elegant meeting of two houses bound by craftsmanship and couture tradition.
