31 JANUARY 2003
Every stylish woman worth her salt dreams of owning a pair of "Manolos", shoes once deemed "as good as sex" by none other than pop icon Madonna. But starting February 1, those who can't splash the cash on the fabulous footwear will be able to get the next best thing – a closer look at the creations, of course – at the Manolo Blahnik exhibition in London.

The city's Design Museum is presenting a retrospective of Blahnik's glamorous craftmanship, including rare prototype sketches and memorabilia from his private archive. The display, which runs until May 11, marks the first ever museum showing of the shoe designer's work.

During his 30-year career, Manolo has included high-profile stars from Bianca Jagger to Nicole Kidman among his fans, while fictional female characters from Sex In The City's Carrie Bradshaw to The Simpsons's Marge have helped make the exclusive handmade designs a household name.

And Manolo admits there is an element of mystique about his handiwork. "People do seem to have this kind of obsession," he said in a recent interview. "They say, 'I'm feeling depressed – I'm going to Manolo'." Gesturing towards one of his high-heeled designs, he added: "Of course, when you walk in this, you've got instant transformation. You put it on and you become another person."