Stylist Jamie Mizrahi saves footwear for last when she dresses clients like Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Alba, and Riley Keough. “I usually pull together the outfit and then see what shoe brings some interest to the look,” she said. Lately, Mizrahi and her clients are in agreement that a vintage-leaning Manolo Blahnik mule is the right finishing touch.
The three aforementioned women are just a sample of celebrities wearing Manolo Blahnik’s Maysale kitten mules for their off-duty street style and official, SAG-AFTRA strike-compliant appearances. In the past few months, Meghan Markle wore a light camel pair to the Invictus Games with a monochromatic pantsuit; Hailey Bieber wore a red pair with a little white dress for a Rhode beauty event; and Sofia Richie wore the style twice in the span of a few weeks, once in black and once in cherry red.
The teeny-tiny heel and sleek, buckled silhouette are another recent celebrity-backed style that first trended in the 1990s and early 2000s. (See: the rise and rise of the Adidas Samba.) The Manolo Maysale, however, has a fashion insider origin story. It was first introduced by Manolo Blahnik back in 1991, when designer Isaac Mizrahi asked Blahnik to design a shoe with a pilgrim buckle for his show. Since then, it’s remained in constant rotation at the house, with a range of neutral suede iterations and seasonal updates with contrasting buckles.
In the present, celebrities have slipped on their Maysales for interviews, dinners, and runway shows. Stylist Karla Welch told Bazaar she dressed clients like Bieber in Manolo’s mules most frequently over fashion month. (Mary Jane styles also got a shout-out.) When we asked Welch which genre of her clients’ events or occasions were best suited to a Manolo mule, for example, she replied, “All of them! The range is so huge.”
For the style’s namesake designer, it’s been extraordinary to see the shoe embraced by another generation of well-dressed women. Wearing the Maysale isn’t just about the look, he added. “I have always adored the sound a mule makes when you walk in them. It’s one of my sexiest shoes as the ankle and heel are completely unrestrained,” Blahnik said.
Sexy, but not to the point of discomfort. These mules are so low that they’re verging on a flat; whatever the wearer’s occupation, they can be worn for an entire day. At a moment when people are leaning into the ease of flats, Mizrahi added, “Who doesn’t love being comfortable and looking good?”
Ultimately, the Maysale’s return checks several boxes for well-dressed women. They’re comfortable, they’re polished, and they nod to fashion history without feeling dated. “I think people want things that last,” Mizrahi continued. “There is nothing better to add to your wardrobe than a classic Manolo—it’s quiet luxury at its core.”
This shoe isn’t the sort of piece that’s prevalent just because of a 2023 trend. It’s lasted for more than three decades, and it’ll keep enduring. As Welch put it, “An icon is an icon.”
Fashion Commerce Editor
Halie LeSavage is the fashion commerce editor at Harper’s BAZAAR. Her style reporting covers everything from reviewing the best designer products to profiling emerging brands and designers. Previously, she was the founding retail writer at Morning Brew and a fashion associate at Glamour.
