When you think of Sex and the City, you think of Carrie Bradshaw. When you think of the wavy-tressed beauty, you think of her unmatched fashion sense. And when you think of those flowy skirts, daring dresses and silky blouses, you think of her shoes - her beautiful, breathtaking, never-the-same treasures aux pieds.

And what shoes could Carrie never bare to live without? Any of her precious, priceless Manolos, even if that means she'd have to barter with a mugger over them.

Popularized by shoe-loving Carrie in the late '90s, the British comedy Absolutely Famous in the early '90s, and surprisingly enough The Simpsons when Marge donned a pair, Manolo Blahnik's shoes are on every fashionista's To Buy Before I Die list. And for most, they've already filled up their closet shelves with the glamorous footwear, despite their rather stroke-inducing price tag.

Rather than years of study in the craft of shoemaking - in which he's never been formally trained - Blahnik's expertise comes from undeniably exceptional taste. Coerced into shoe design by then US Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland upon viewing his imaginative sketches and admiring the shoes on his feet, Blahnik didn't always have fashion on his mind. He studied architecture and literature at the University of Geneva, moved to Paris in 1965 to study art and work in a vintage clothing store, arrived in London two years later, and began a brief stint as a photographer with the Sunday Times. This opened the doors into the fashion world, where he rubbed shoulders with Paloma Picasso and photographer Eric Boman, who eventually brought him to Vreeland.

And as his shoes marched down the catwalks of such leading designers as Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta and Ossie Clark, celebrities, socialites, fashion editors, designers and royalty all gasped in unison - everyone wanted to get their hands on a pair of Manolos.

All the attention and glamour was far from what Blahnik had grown up with. Born on Nov. 28, 1942, in Santa Cruz de la Palma in the Canary Islands, the sought-after shoe designer was raised by a Spanish mother and a Czech father on a banana plantation. He and his sister Evangelina were home-schooled, and with no neighbors except for his grandfather's house, Blahnik spent his childhood with his family, the bananas and the sea.

His family often vacationed to Paris and Madrid; his mother would buy clothes from her favorite designers and his father would visit his tailor. Blahnik also had a childhood introduction to fashion as he flipped through his mother's Vogue and Glamour magazines, and an early education in shoemaking as he watched her make her own Catalan espadrilles from ribbon and laces.

Now, Blahnik's designs ooze of classy, timeless sophistication. He throws in a few avant-garde looks to please those begging for of-the-moment designs, but focuses mainly on eternal silhouettes that he says "will wear forever." From his classic Mary Jane's to his sassy leopard-print pumps to his jeweled strappy sandals, "Manolos" - as the designer's footwear is so lovingly nicknamed by its adoring fans - are arguably the most desired shoes in the world.

Respected by many for playing a major role in the creation of his designs - from the initial sketches to the advertising campaigns - Blahnik has used the last three decades to root, build and establish himself as one of the most influential and necessary designers in the industry.

And even when his styles include hot pink pompoms, black pearls, silver ruffles, turquoise beads and gold lizard skin, these high glamour looks only add to the timeless elegance of his exceptionally crafted designs.