Christian Louboutin: Glamour Guaranteed

#LadiesHauteLuxuryPartyShoesSeries

ContributorMay 28, 2019

2 minutes read

When you buy a bell, you take the clanking for granted. So it is when a lady buys a pair of Louboutin’s shoes; she can take it for granted they will make her, at least the feet, look drop-dead gorgeous. Louboutin is essentially a ladies’ shoes designer, all the other things that later came to bear the Louboutin name – bags, purses, men’s shoes – are just commercial extensions to leverage the brand. At the start of his career, Christian Louboutin set out to “make a woman look sexy, beautiful, to make her legs look as long possible”. This explains why his creations are mostly high-heeled, evening-wear designs. He designed for brands such as Chanel and Yvest Saint-Laurent before setting up his own salon in 1991. Not surprising for a desinger who grew up as the only boy in a Parisian family with three girls.

Louboutin shoes have a long list of celebrity fans including, to name just a few, Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Shirley Coates, Joan Collins, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Tina Turner, Marion Cotillard, Nicki Minaj, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kendal Jenner, Kerry Washington and Cardi B. It’s hard to think of any female celebrity who isn’t on the L list. The American novelist, Danielle Steel, is said to own more than 6,000 pairs!

The Louboutin signature red sole is an aggressively protected trademark. Louboutin has sued Zara, Yves Saint Laurent and others for using red soles, with cases going as high as the Swiss Supreme Court and the European Court of Justice. But Christian Loubotin is much more than the red soles; amazing virtuosity is evident in the use of crystals, feathers, and stones in creating stunningly glamorous shoes for women.