In September 2024 Christian Louboutin triumphed at Paris Fashion Week with an extravaganza of a show starring synchronised swimmers in Mizz Z heels as the iconic shoe designer teamed up with artistic director David LaChapelle and choreographer Bianca Li to stage the chicest pool party you've ever seen entitled 'Louboutin is Burning'. If you missed it fear not, as we take a look back at the numerous ways in which Christian Louboutin's signature red soles have had an impact...
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Christian Louboutin credits his fascination with shoes and their subversive possibilities with a sign he saw aged 10 at the Musee National des Arts d’Afrique et d’Oceanie telling women that stilettos were forbidden to prevent damage to the wooden floors. The idea stuck with him. The start of his career was as glamorous as you would hope: having dropped out of school, at 16 the Parisian designer got his first job at the Folie Bergères, assisting the dancers backstage. After a few years spent having adventures around the world, he returned to Paris with a portfolio of drawings and went to work with and learn from first Charles Jourdan then Roger Vivier. He opened his first shop in 1991 and Princess Caroline of Monaco was his first customer, closely followed by Diane von Furstenberg, Catherine Deneuve and many, many more.
