Blahnik's flamboyant, experimental designs were the perfect accompaniment for Clark's couture – and his Ossie shoe became iconic. However, his imaginative flair was as yet untempered by technical know-how, and the teetering shoes proved perilous to wear – "like walking on quicksand", Blahnik later recalled. But comfort (or lack thereof) never stood in the way of fashion, especially in matters of shoes, and the visual bravura of his Ossies drew plaudits nonetheless; the designer, an inveterate socialite, found himself lionised. In 1974, he gained the distinction of becoming the first man to appear on the cover of British Vogue.

The Vogue connection has defined Blahnik's entire career. Even today, US Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour is rarely seen without her Blahnik slingbacks, which he designed for her in 1994 and which she has in numerous colour iterations. "I can't remember the last time I wore anybody else's shoes – I mean, I just don't even look at them," she claimed in a recent documentary on the shoemaker. And says supermodel Naomi Campbell, who knows his wares better than most: "Manolo is the king of shoes."