A Peek Into The Amazing Story of Christian Louboutin

‘A woman can carry a handbag but it is the shoe that carries the woman’.

This man has a history as colourful as his design style; someone who creates some serious work but then does not take his work seriously.

I’m sure all of us are aware of the famous “Sammy red soled shoes” but there is something completely bizarre in the most unique fashion as to how he came up with the red soles. So here goes..

Born on January 7th, 1953 in Paris, this young designer started his career as a freelance fashion designer. Christian, at a very young age developed a passion for shoes and shoe sketching and his life revolved around art and culture which gradually transcended into his designs. With very little formal education and not trusting the conventional business model, he believed that shoes serve very little purpose and they were meant only to make the women feel confident and happy. This belief system right here is what set him apart from his peers and became one of the core elements of the brand.

He began designing shoes in the 80’s but it was the year 1993 which proved to be a game changer for the brand, yes you guessed it right, it was the year when the iconic Louboutin Red Sole shoes came to life.

The year is 93, Christian is struggling with his shoe designs and unable to understand why the designs in real life aren’t as impressive as on paper.

Okay now let’s focus on the story. On one incredibly mundane day, Christian sat in his failing store with his fellow assistant and one of the most random and routine activities turned into something revolutionary.  He began packing away the shoes as it was time to shut the store while his assistant was busy painting her nails with a fiery red shade and there suddenly he had his Eureka moment! He borrowed his assistant’s nail polish and began painting the soles until they turned fiery red. The final version impressed both of them and voila that was the birth of iconic “Sammy Red Bottoms”.

Now it’s time for some sassy facts about the man himself!

• After almost a lifetime of assuming that he was adopted due to his darker skin tone than his sisters, in 2014 he discovered that he was actually the result of a passionate affair his mom had with an Egyptian man!
• Expelled from school 3 times at a young age, he decided to run away from home when he was 12 which is when his mother allowed him to live at a friend’s house.
• His fascination for shoes began in 1976 when he took a trip to Musée national des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie. There he saw a sign from Africa which forbid women from wearing sharp stilettos as it would damage the wooden flooring and he certainly wanted to “defy that”.
• In the 1980’s he turned away from fashion to make a career in landscape gardening but his passion brought him right back where he belonged (thank god for that!).
• 5. Every Louboutin boutique has a unique element which is designed and decorated by the man himself!

He is a man who is addicted to the idea of luxury, quality and well shoes. To sum things up here’s what he has to say about his addictions.

In a Nutshell

Christian Louboutin is a French-Egyptian fashion designer who has gained international fame for his amazing high-end stiletto footwear. His signature is the incorporation of  shiny, red-lacquered soles in his luxury fashion shoes and something that the global world of fashion has found irresistible.

“It's a good addition. There are so many bad addictions. Better be addicted to shoes than something else.”