Walking in Style

(LOS ANGELES) Manolo Blahnik's "Something Blue" satin pump is the talk of the town, thanks to Sex and the City. Now, an entire city will recognize the British cobbler's contribution to fashion. The Rodeo Drive Committee and the City of Beverly Hills will bestow the 12th-annual Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award to Blahnik at an awards ceremony on September 25.

The accolade, inaugurated in 2003 with Giorgio Armani, honors style legends for their contributions to the worlds of fashion and entertainment. As part of the festivities, Blahnik will receive a permanent plaque that features his quote and signature placed in the sidewalk on the iconic street.

"Manolo Blahnik's relationship with the entertainment industry is legendary," said Wanda McDaniel, chairman of the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style selections committee. "Britain's acclaimed TV series Absolutely Fabulous and Sex and the City helped make Manolo Blahnik a household name, and in return his shoes have given the shows a sense of style, art and luxury."

While Blahnik has no standalone shops in Los Angeles, his roots are deeply embedded in cinema. In 2005, he was asked by Oscar-winning costume designer Milena Canonero to design the shoes for Sofia Coppola's movie Marie Antoinette, which won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design.  Canonero received the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award in 2006.

Blahnik follows in the well-shod footsteps of past honorees, including James Galanos, Gianni and Donatella Versace (2007), Salvatore Ferragamo, Edith Head, James Acheson and Milena Canonero (2006), Herb Ritts and Mario Testino (2005), Tom Ford and Armani.