However, if you take note of Manolo Blahnik’s penchant and heroic continuation of the opera pump, you might think
differently about both its adaptability and its capabilities in being a pivot for refined style. Eschewing fashion
for timeless elegance, it wasn't uncommon to see the Spanish designer donning a suit from Nutter's of Savile Row
with opera pumps. The point is, don’t view it as a fustian accoutrement, but rather see the shoe as an instrument in
bringing back the dialogue of men’s elegance. And more timely as a springboard to welcome and embrace the social
sybaritic lifestyle that has been absent in the last two years.
Keen to not let the romance of dinner dress evaporate from our minds, the great Edward Sexton conjured up fresh
eveningwear designs mid-pandemic. Like Sexton, but from an editorial vantage point The Rake continued to champion
the future recreation of black tie. And so, when Swedish-based shoemaker, Myrqvist approached us about an exclusive
design collaboration involving a black patent opera pump, we couldn’t have been more onboard.
CEO and founder of Myrqvist, Sebastian Öhrn explains: “We feel it is time to move on from the sweatpants fad and dust
off that black tie.” Named the Rosendal, it is a classic opera pump, featuring a highly elegant bow, quilted lining
and black leather insock with a “Myrqvist for The Rake”, golden print. Established six years ago, Myrqvist have
already garnered a reputation on the international shoemaking scene for well-constructed shoes sold at a very
attractive price point. The Rosendal’s irrefutably elegant shape is not only the result of acute design, but made
possible by the handwork of skilled custodians in a small workshop in Northern Portugal. Considering these
endorsements, its price tag below £250 represents remarkable value.
No other dress code brings with it such cachet, nor imbues in the wearer such a palpable sense of self-confidence and
glamour. Whether you’re attending the annual Nobel Banquet in Stockholm City Hall in white tie, the Teatro di San
Carlo opera house in Naples or simply a festive black tie event, wearing these shoes will not only give you a
nostalgic sense of the glamour of old Hollywood soirées, but they will give you a
spark to embrace the splurge of social occasions in the present moment.
