Christian lOubOutin The Forbidden Shoe
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his year, the brand celebrates its 30th anniversary. It all started in Paris, in the first arrondissement. Today, Christian Louboutin, leading French fashion designer, owns 70 stores across 46 countries. With his highly coveted signature red-soled stilettos and chic designs that put femininity in the spotlight, Louboutin stands out as a pioneer of the luxury fashion industry. Christian Louboutin has long observed women, their posture and their silhouette. Around the age of 12, as he was visiting a Parisian museum, he noticed something that never left his mind: a high heels prohibition sign. That is all it took to ignite his passion for the design of stiletto heels. As a teenager, Louboutin took on casual jobs in Parisian cabarets, with the dream to join a fashion house. He left Paris for Romans-sur-Isère, the shoe capital of France, where he was trained by Fashion designer Charles Jourdan, whose high heels seduced Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy. Louboutin then moved back to Paris and worked for Haute Couture houses such as Herve Leger, Chanel and Maud Frizon before joining Roger Vivier, the famed fashion designer who became his mentor. His numerous experiences and thousands of sketches of shoes led him to build his eponymous brand in 1991. Two years later, watching his assistant paint her nails red, he decided to glamorize the soles of a prototype inspired by Andy Warhol’s Flowers. The iconic vivid red sole was born. With bold yet feminine designs and thanks to his trademark high heels handcrafted in Italy, Christian Louboutin became one of the world’s most celebrated shoe designers. During the past 25 years, Christian Louboutin’s brand flourished, as he made countless collaborations with fashion designers including Jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Lanvin and Yves Saint Laurent. More unanticipated collaborations arose: the Fetish project with David Lynch, Star Wars-inspired heels for Disney, Louboutin Barbie dolls and exclusive macaron gift boxes for Ladurée. A true success story for the designer whose legendary shoes have conquered the world... and the hearts of women.
CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN us.christianlouboutin.com
477 N. Rodeo Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90210 +1 310 652 5700
44 | THE CIRCLE MAGAZINE - LOS ANGELES 2021
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