Christian Louboutin
Designer, Christian Louboutin
The French designer’s signature red soles have catapulted his glamorous creations into the highest strata of luxury footwear.
Christian Louboutin is one of the world’s most well-known shoe designers; the red soles of his designs have become synonymous with luxury and celebrity. Louboutin now sells over one million pairs of shoes a year. The company sells in approximately 150 department stores and self-branded boutiques in over 35 countries. The first dedicated Louboutin menswear store opened in New York in 2012.
Louboutin grew up in Paris. As he spent his time sketching shoes rather than studying, he was reportedly expelled from three schools. Although he is not formally trained, he attended Académie d'Art Roederer to study drawing and decorative arts. Having run away as a teenager to Egypt and India, Louboutin returned to Paris with a portfolio filled with sketches of fantastical heels.
After approaching all of the major couture houses with his portfolio, Louboutin started his career at Charles Jourdan, one of Paris’ and the world’s most respected shoemakers. Louboutin left Charles Jourdan to work as a freelance designer, working for Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Roger Vivier.
Christian Louboutin opened his first store in Paris in 1992; his red-soled shoes, handcrafted in Italy, were soon taken up by Hollywood actresses and Paris’ fashion establishment. The designer believes that his shoes have the ability to "make a woman look sexy, beautiful, to make her legs look as long as [he] can."
The designer has collaborated with the likes of Alexander McQueen, Lanvin, Victor & Rolf, Roland Mouret , and Jean Paul Gaultier . Louboutin designed the sandals for Saint Laurent’s final runway collection, which eventually led to a legal battle regarding trademarking over the red soles of the shoes. In 2014, Louboutin launched a beauty line and signed a beauty license with Puig in 2018.
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The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
ExploreWhat is The BoF 500?
The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
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Christian Louboutin chats with Rozan Ahmed about identity, passion and building a brand worth $2.7 billion from the ground up.
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In the fifth and final session of BoF’s annual gathering, Vanessa Kingori, Jay Shetty, Sinéad Burke, Christian Louboutin and others spoke about finding personal fulfillment in the face of adversity.
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This week, Michele Norsa returns to Ferragamo as executive deputy board chairman after exiting in 2016, while Louis Vuitton hires former Mulberry designer Johnny Coca to lead its women’s leather goods division.
The BoF Podcast: How Christian Louboutin Turned Red Soles Into a Status Symbol
Just as he unveils his L'Exhibition[niste] showcase in Paris this week, the luxury footwear designer speaks with BoF’s Editor-in-Chief Imran Amed about transforming his namesake brand from a single-store enterprise into a global success.
The BoF Podcast: How Christian Louboutin Turned Red Soles Into a Status Symbol
Just as he unveils his L'Exhibition[niste] showcase in Paris this week, the luxury footwear designer speaks with BoF’s Editor-in-Chief Imran Amed about transforming his namesake brand from a single-store enterprise into a global success.
From Tiffany Blue to Louboutin Red: The Power of Owning a Colour
Just a handful of luxury stalwarts are so synonymous with a colour that consumers can instantly equate the shade with the name. So, how does a brand own a tone, and should smaller labels try?