Footwear giant Manolo Blahnik has joined forces with designer Madeline Weinrib, famed for her handcrafted home merchandise made from ikat fabrics, to design a range of unique footwear.
George Malkemus, Blahnik's president, recently visited Weinrib's studio and chose the fabric that the shoe giant intends to use for four different shoe styles that include pump, wedge, sandal and a smoking shoe.
"I've been following Madeline's work for a long time and I'm a big fan of her exquisite fabrics," Malkemus told WWD.
The shoes will be priced from $595 for an ikat fabric sandal and the wedge made with Weinrib's Ivy block-print fabric will retail at $775.
"They beautifully translated my fabrics into shoes that feel incredibly fresh and new," Weinrib told the site. "They've given me a great excuse to add to my Manolo Blahnik collection."
Weinrib, who works with artisans in Uzbekistan, has a flair for traditional weaving techniques and aims to add a modern twist to it. She values these fabrics passed down from one generation to another and believes that they are not just prints but "an heirloom."
"There's a lot of soul in the yarn," she told Vogue. "I think Manolo and I share the same values when it comes to making things with a lasting quality. "I recently pulled out a pair of his shoes from my closet that I hadn't worn in years-and they felt like new."
The line of footwear will be available only to consumers in the U.S. and can be bought at Manolo Blahnik store in New York, at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Barneys New York location.