by The Perennial Style | Aug 1, 2013 | Style, Uncategorized
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!
Just a warning for all you shoe lovers, his shoes are addicting! Click here to see his collection
by The Perennial Style | May 14, 2013 | Style, Uncategorized
You are familiar with Mr. Herve Leger, but are you familiar with Mr. Herve L. Leroux? Of course you are, considering they are the same person. You may ask yourself, now why would a man like Herve Leger change his name after gaining all the fame and fortune from his original bandage dress? Well, we can blame BCBG for that one.
After years of experience working for some of the largest names in fashion – such as Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi, Lanvin, Chloe, Chanel, and others – Herve set out to create a line for himself in 1985 by setting up his own atelier in Paris. In 1989, Herve’s new collection was to be presented to the fashion world. Seeking a one-of-a-kind showstopper finale piece, Herve was forced to get creative in his studio. By winding some seam binding he found around a mannequin, he discovered just the inspiration he needed for his soon-to-be world famous bandage dress!
In 1998, the Herve Leger brand was acquired by the BCBG Max Azria group on an ill-advised business deal, which led to Leger being fired 6 months after the acquisition. Unhappy with the new designs and unable to make changes to the line due to losing control of his company and the rights to his name, Herve Leger reinvented himself as Herve L. Leroux.
Meet Leroux: a name meaning Herve the Red – suggested by his good friend Karl Lagerfeld inspired by his red hair. Like Leger with the bandage dress created to enhance a woman’s body, Leroux created a new concept of draped jersey dresses. These dresses embrace the shapes of the form-fitting bandage dresses of his original collections, but have an elegant feminine twist with the softer fabrics. Herve has never believed in designing pieces to follow trends, but more so designing dresses to accentuate a woman’s body regardless of their shape or size.
Herve Leroux’s dresses have made a splash on the red carpet. Check out some of my favorite looks below:
Sofia Vergara
Gabrielle Union
Dita von Teese
Amy Adams
Anna Paquin
Penelope Cruz
Kristen Stewart
So who do YOU prefer: Leger or Leroux?
