Inside la Maison Christian Louboutin
Step inside la Maison Christian Louboutin, the home of the signature red sole known across the seven seas.
The man behind the Maison
Christian Louboutin’s career began with a sign—not one from the heavens, but a literal sign posted at the Museum of African and Oceanic Art—forbidding women from wearing stilettos, lest they scratch the parquet flooring. Little did 10-year-old Christian know that he had happened upon the subject of his life’s work.
Raised with his three sisters, the Parisian-born designer has always been intimately aware of the nuances that define the female condition. For Christian Louboutin, every woman is a work of art, a goddess meant to be celebrated, a life source of limitless power that ought to be unleashed. At the age of 16, he began an internship at the famed Folies Bergère, where the self-taught shoemaker began dressing the dancers’ feet with his designs
Soon after, the world became his stage. Christian Louboutin’s sketches caught the eyes of various renowned designers to whom he lent his talents while learning the more technical aspects of his craft. In 1991, the designer embarked on a new adventure that would come to define his legacy: the inauguration of his first Parisian boutique.
And the rest, chéris, is red soled history.
Learn more about the celebrated Parisian designer who changed the course of fashion history one sexy step at a time.
1991, Chez Loubi
After touring the most renowned ateliers in Paris, Christian Louboutin followed destiny to a new address at the Galerie Vérot-Dodat.
In 1991, this beautiful neoclassical arcade in the center of Paris became the home of the first Christian Louboutin boutique.
1992, Seeing Red
Not long after he opened his first boutique, did a stroke of legacy-defining genius came knocking at Christian Louboutin’s atelier door. And just like the sign outside the Museum of Oceanic and African Art, this flash of inspiration came from the most peculiar of places indeed.
As the designer was mulling over an unsatisfactory prototype for a new shoe, he noticed his assistant polishing her nails.
He grabbed the bottle of lacquer and painted the entire sole red. It was love at first sight.
Et voilà, his signature red sole was born.
1993, If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere
When the New York boutique opened its doors, it heralded the dawn of a new, star-studded era for the House.
Christian Louboutin’s coveted red soles took American popular culture by storm, making less than discrete cameos in a number of television series, films, and songs. It wasn’t long before “Louboutins” became red carpet regulars, as the now world-renowned designer from Paris continued to amass a celebrity clientele.
2003, Arm candy
Christian Louboutin has always likened shoes and bags to twin sisters. With the launch of his leather goods collection, the designer put a proverbial pep in every Loubi-lovers step with show-stopping handbags and accessories for above-the-knee dressing.
Infused with his signature flamboyance and unparalleled attention to detail, each of these precious creations, from the Farida and the Marie-Jeanne to the Paloma and the Elisa, is an eponymous ode to one of Christian Louboutin’s dearest friends or loved ones.
2009, Boys allowed
It may surprise some to learn that Christian Louboutin, the patron saint of the stiletto, had been designing men’s footwear long before the launch of his first men’s collection in 2009.
However, his formal foray into men’s shoes was cued by a call from international pop star Mika. Just like the designer, Mika was raised with three sisters, who seemed to fall under a joyful spell whenever they slipped on a pair of their favoritered-soled shoes.
Mika dreamed of feeling the same magical energy when he stepped foot on stage, so he decided to call the famed créateur and ask him if he would design the shoes for his upcoming tour.
The unforeseen request accidentally inspired a full-fledged collection, and a new chapter for his illustrious red soles was written.
2013, Au naturel
Since the beginning, la Maison Christian Louboutin has welcomed all those who dream in couture. So when the designer launched his legendary Nudes collection, an inclusive range of pumps realized in five shades to adapt to every skin tone, what seemed like an obvious creative choice for the brand ultimately revolutionized the fashion industry at large.
In the mind of Christian Louboutin, nude was never a color; it is a concept that undresses and celebrates the silhouette of the leg.
Over time, Christian Louboutin’s Nudes expanded to include 8 shades and multiple styles, having earned their place in fashion history as a pioneering act of inclusivity.
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