Designer Spotlight: Christian Louboutin

Who is the man behind the red sole? We all have come to know and love Christian Louboutin, but do we REALLY know him?

Christian Louboutin knew from a young age his passion was for shoes. Being the only son to a cabinetmaker who was rarely around in his childhood, Christian spent most of his time with his mother and three sisters in Paris. On a visit to a Parisian museum, he discovered a sign forbidding high heels. He became fascinated by the image of the heels and began his first shoe sketchbook shortly after.

Christian was expelled from his school at the age of 16, which opened doors for his future success within the shoe industry. Whether it was designing shoes for a cabaret, working under Charles Jourdan, or countless amounts of freelance work, Louboutin gained the experience he needed to open up his first shop in Paris in the early 1990s.

But why red?

Every pair of Christian Louboutin’s shoes has the trademark red sole. During one of his first fashion shows, Christian felt like something was missing from his designs: something sexy, something fierce, something that would make his shoes his own. As he was mulling over these thoughts in his studio in 1993, he caught a glance of one of his employees painting her nails with red nail polish. That was it! He stole the polish, painted the sole of his heel red, and instantly Christian Louboutin shoes became the iconic heel today.

Christian Louboutin became an instant favorite amongst Hollywood, not to mention Royalty (Princess Caroline of Monaco was one of his first customers!). His famous red soled heels are seen at almost every single red carpet event among stars such as Britney Spears, Madonna, Beyonce, Rihanna, the Kardashians, and the list goes on and on. There’s just something irresistible about these handmade shoes. Louboutin’s success hasn’t stopped at women’s shoes. He created a handbag line in 2003, a men’s shoe line in 2011, and is rumored to launch a new beauty line this year!