Shoe Designer Christian Louboutin: Sole Man
Christian Louboutin poses with a pair of stilettos called “Siamese” that he produced in collaboration with David Lynch.
Ben Baker / Redux
Most designers learn their craft in the ateliers of more seasoned masters, but shoe designer Christian Louboutin found his calling as a 17-year-old apprentice in the dressing rooms of Paris’ famous cabaret the Folies Bergère. “I would watch the girls going up and down the stairs with these very heavy headdresses on, and they never cheap christian louboutin uk looked at their shoes,” he says. “That’s where I learned that shoes are all about posture and proportion.”
Showgirls of all kinds–from Tina Turner to Nicole Kidman–are still an inspiration for Christian Louboutin, 44, whose instantly recognizable red-soled stilettos have become de rigueur on the red carpet and among Hollywood’s A-list crowd. “He is the foremost shoe designer in the world,” says Valerie Steele, director of the museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where his designs were the subject of a recent retrospective, “Sole Desire.”
Christian Louboutin spent the early years of his career designing shoes for some of fashion’s biggest names, including Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Maud Frizon. In 1992 he opened up his own shop at the end of a picturesque 19th century Parisian arcade. He still runs his business from that Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau address, but now his shoes are sold in 46 countries around the world. He has 14 boutiques in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and London, and he plans to open six more next year in places like Singapore, Jakarta and Beijing. He counts Oprah, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cameron Diaz, Katie red christian louboutin Holmes and hundreds of other Hollywood stars among his loyal clientele.
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