Manolo – The Boy Who Made Shoes For Lizards is a new Michael Roberts-directed documentary about Manolo Blahnik, the man regarded by those who know as ‘the best shoe-maker of the 20th and 21st centuries’.
Roberts’s film offers an in-depth portrait of Blahnik, the self confessed ‘cobbler’ whose work is adored by the likes of Anna Wintour, Naomi Campbell, Rihanna, Iman, to name just a few.
To say that I’m shoe-obsessed would be a complete lie because I’m just a tad too practical for that. Yet I am ever curious about creative people, and I’ll watch this to take in the beauty and art of Blahnik’s designs.
There are three key reasons to see director Andrew Rossi’s documentary about the planning and organisation of 2015’s MET Gala,a.k.a. one of fashion’s most prestigious annual events.
Reason one is the beautiful pieces of clothing designed by the likes of Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano and Jean-Paul Gaultier. If, like me, you appreciate the art and dedication that goes into creating extraordinarily beautiful clothing, and you adore the sensory experience of it all, watch The First Monday In May.
Reason number two is Anna Wintour. Who cannot be impressed by her? She’s arguably one of the most influential individuals in fashion; editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine (for the last 28 years) and the woman responsible for overseeing the planning and organisation of the MET Gala. My curiosity about Wintour isn’t just because The Devil Wears Prada (2006) is based on her. I wanted to see her operate as I did in The September Issue (2009) and reflect on all it must have taken to reach her goals and maintain her position.
The First Monday In May (2016), Rihanna
As for reason number three, I’ve never enjoyed event planning. That doesn’t mean I don’t have a good time watching other people do all the work and handle all the stresses, politics and deadlines that come with it. The First Monday In May has all of that, plus it’s well-paced, edited and accompanied by fitting tension building music.
I went into this documentary expecting a sizeable chunk of it to focus on Wintour, when in fact, the person whose ideas and overall vision form the theme and content of the exhibition – plus the overall look and feel is Andrew Bolton, Curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Fret not however, for there’s still focus on Wintour as she goes about delegating, praising and calling out mediocre efforts where necessary.
To fashion, Anna Wintour, style, costume, MET Gala and art fans, etc., you know you have to watch this. Additionally, there’s an interesting conversation about whether fashion can truly be taken seriously as art. My answer is absolutely.
For all lovers of art, especially art that comes in the shape of fashion, today’s trailer is for a new documentary about 2015’s Met Ball.
Directed by Andrew Rossi, the film follows Vogue Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour. She takes us along for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the planning and organisation of one of fashion’s most prestigious annual events. One that brings together the most celebrated figures in fashion, music, film and art.
I’ll be watching for all the art involved. That and the expected ups and downs that go with organising a gathering as big and international as the Met Gala.
First Monday In May will open at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 13, 2016.
The Movie My Life 