On Wednesday night in New York, Manolo Blahnik hosted a dinner in celebration of “The Manolo Blahnik Archives, The Craft,” a new experience within its virtual archives. During cocktail hour, guests were able to get an intimate look inside the brand’s Italian shoe factory, thanks to several virtual reality headsets stationed in a back room at Saint Theo’s.
Guests including Pat Cleveland, Kathryn Gallagher, Jennifer Fisher, Jihae Kim, Cathy Ang, Rōze Traore, Alexandra O’Neill, Carolyn Angel, Amy Fine Collins and Tina Leung took turns exploring the experience during cocktail hour.
“It’s a little taster of what the room is going to show you about the art of shoe making,” said Manolo Blahnik president of the Americas Andrew Wright of the “4D” experience. “[Blahnik] wanted to share his creativity with everyone; it’s not going to be locked away in a vault and then upon appointment you can see it.” Wright offered a piece of advice for those yet to take a virtual spin through the factory: “Do it sitting down, because I did it, and sometimes you feel you’re underwater scuba diving.”
Manolo Blahnik offered up another immersive dinner experience later in the evening: a live performance by up-and-coming talent Rainey Qualley.
“Wearing their shoes makes an event — you wear their shoes for something special,” Qualley said during cocktail hour, gearing up for her four-song set. The singer had chosen a pair of crystal-embellished heeled mules for the occasion. “They’re so timeless, and I’ve always had an affinity for princess-esque vibes,” she added. “Long story short, the shoes are gorgeous.”
![The scene at the Manolo Blahnik Celebrates 'The Manolo Blahnik Archives: The Craft' event held at Saint Theo's on October 18, 2023 in New York, New York.](https://wwd.com/wp-content/themes/vip/pmc-wwd-2021/assets/public/lazyload-fallback.gif)