For Christian Louboutin, “a shoe has so much more to offer than just to walk”. The fashion designer known for his over-the-top
The sign that impressioned Louboutin between 10 and 12 to work with heels
footwear with the red soles, Louboutin was inspired to create a line of high heels after a visit to the Museum of African and Oceanian Arts. Here he observed a sign forbidding patrons to wear high heels because of the delicate mosaic tile floor.
Inspired by the museum in the 12th arrondissement where he lived, Louboutin used motifs, architecture, color, Indian and Egyptian movies even the iridescent fish in the museum’s aquarium to interpret this multi-cultural neighborhood in his designs. Extended to January 3, 2021 the exhibit at the Palais de la Dorée is the backdrop for the Exhibition(iste) tracing thirty years of his designs.
Le Pensées shoes were the first with red nail polish on their black soles.
This is a fun exhibit full of music in each room, lots to see and read about. A vague attempt at remembering Andy Warhol’s Flowers series, led to the creation of Le Pensée shoe in 1993. Not only did it come in a variety of colors but the red nail polish covering the black sole became his signature. From Marie Antoinette to Cinderella to the bowling ball in the shoe, your imagination will run away with Mr. Louboutin’s creative process. Not too long ago, I had no idea who this designer was, now I have no doubts. One day, I would love to have a pair of his shoes on my feet.
The exhibition themes are his early years, the treasure room, nudes, the workshop videos, a harmless salon worthy of a mischievous but conservative English granny (or so it seems at first glance) and the Bhutanese theatre. “A Reverie” begins with Biographie, which throws light on Mr. Louboutin’s early life and takes us into a dreamworld of projections. The fetish theme is a collaboration between Christian Louboutin and filmmaker and photographer, David Lynch. The final section is an imaginary museum where he pays tribute to the artists who inspired him.
Download the English language press kit for more detailed information about the exhibit.
Louboutin Retrospective Palais de la Doree
Christian Louboutin Makes Shoes l’Exhibition(iste)
The Granny Room Christian Louboutin Retrospective Paris
” L’Exhibition[niste] is a title that came to me quite quickly. It is a play on the idea of an exhibit and the act of exhibitionism. An exhibit, meaning to expose or display to the public and exhibitionism as drawing attention to oneself…. I reveal a lot of myself, of my inspirations, of my creative processes in this exhibition and I wanted this to be reflected in the title.” Christian Louboutin
