Christian Louboutin: biography

Christian Louboutin was born in Paris in January 1963. His parents were very far from the world of fashion and art. Father Roger Louboutin worked in a carpentry workshop, mother Irene is a housewife. The family lived very modestly. In addition to the younger Christian, the Louboutins had three more children.

In 1971, when Christian Louboutin was 8 years old, the boy visited the National Museum of Africa and Oceania. Entering the hall, he noticed a sign with a sign prohibiting entry in high-heeled shoes. For some reason, the crossed shoe is most imprinted in my memory. Later, Louboutin admitted that it was from that day that he first became interested in women's shoes.

The first sketches of shoes appeared in Christian's school notebooks. This hobby soon took over the guy's attention. Studying was of little interest: due to poor progress, he was expelled from 4 schools. Louboutin spent all his free time at the theater. Most of all he was worried about the dancers. More precisely, their feet, shod in high-heeled shoes. It was the stiletto heels that the fashion designer later called his first style icons.

In the mid-1970s, Louboutin came across a book about the French luxury shoe designer Roger Vivier, who was also born in Paris. According to Christian, it struck him like a lightning bolt: this was exactly the occupation with which he wanted to connect his whole future life.

After school, the future designer went to the School of Fine Arts, where he studied theater and sculpture. In the late 1970s, Christian Louboutin took his first job at the Foley Berger cabaret. Here his duty was to select costumes for the dancers. At the same time, he created sketches of shoes for artists.

In 1979, Christian Louboutin embarks on a long journey across Egypt and India, which lasted a year and a half. In 1981, returning to his hometown, Louboutin immediately went to the fashion houses of Paris. Everywhere he showed his folder with the best sketches of shoes. The famous designer and couturier Charles Jourdan became interested in these sketches of an 18-year-old boy. He specialized in footwear and accessories. Louboutin was accepted by the disciple. For 2 years the apprentice Christian has been persistently learning how to correctly size and cut the last. In the late 1980s, the talented young couturier was hired as a freelance designer by Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent.

Shoes from Louboutin

The first design development from Christian Louboutin appeared in 1988. These were provocative "egg" boats. This shoe was notable for revealing the inner curve of the foot and part of the toes, which the designer considers very sexy.

In 1990, Louboutin receives the first individual orders. His designer shoes are becoming more and more popular with Parisian fashionistas. This circumstance pushed the young designer to open his first boutique. Orders and sales are skyrocketing. The following year, Christian Louboutin officially registers his brand "Christian Louboutin". Louboutins (or as they are often called "louboutins") are worn by the stars.

Somehow Christian, while working on his next masterpiece, thought about that "highlight", without which the shoe model looked bland. Suddenly the gaze of the master fell on the model, who at that moment was painting her nails in his workshop. The scarlet lacquer turned out to be exactly that ingenious finishing touch that made the designer famous all over the world.

In 1994, the first collection of shoes appeared, the soles of which were dyed scarlet. This find was patented and named "follow me" (which means "follow me"). The following year, in Christian Louboutin's shoes, fashion models from the fashion houses of Jean Paul Gaultier, Chloe, Azzaro, Givenchy and Lanvin walked the catwalk.

And in 1996 the designer got a new collection called "Lucite". The fashionable feature of the shoes is transparent heels. Each pair of these shoes is a real masterpiece. For example, for the actress Arielle Dombal Louboutin made shoes, in the heels of which were visible scraps of her husband's love letters, locks of hair and feathers.

The network of Louboutin boutiques is expanding throughout Europe and America. In 1997 they appeared in London. And in 1999, the Parisian shoe designer's brand stores were already open in New York and Los Angeles. In Moscow, Christian Louboutin's shoe store was opened in 2003 on Petrovka.

In the 2000s, Christian Louboutin launches a new collection of shoes almost every year. In 2007 it is the Fetish line, in 2009 it is Marie Antoinette. In the same year, a fashionable novelty appeared, released jointly by the fashion designer and the wine-making company Piper Heidsieck. This is an exclusive set consisting of a decorative shoe and a bottle of champagne with Louboutin's signature. And in 2009, a line of couturier men's shoes appeared.

2010 was also marked by several new products by the master. The main one is a collection of shoes with colored straps, named "Lively" after the actress and model. In the same year, footwear from Christian Louboutin was named the sexiest by Footwear News.

2011 was marked by a scandal. Christian Louboutin filed a lawsuit against the Yves Saint Laurent fashion house for the fact that the brand released shoes, which, according to the designer, copied his patented red Louboutin sole. The long litigation ended in Louboutin's victory. Since then, "Yves Saint Laurent" has the right to produce shoes with red soles only in the model that is completely painted in red.

And 2011 is also notable for the world of haute couture with the release of extremely high Louboutin shoes with a stiletto heel of 20 centimeters. To create the collection, the masters were inspired by the ballerinas and the position of their feet during the dance.

In 2012, the Christian Louboutin brand celebrated its 20th anniversary. In recent years, the maestro from the fashion world has been seriously thinking about creating a cosmetic line and designer jewelry. The biography of Christian Louboutin is a shoe that has been and continues to be worn by legends and stars. Louboutin shoes were worn by Elizabeth Taylor and the Princess of Monaco. They are worn by Catherine Deneuve and Cher. Almost every wealthy fashionista has shoes from the famous couturier.

Personal life

The Parisian creator of the most fashionable shoes does not hide his belonging to non-traditional sexual orientation. Louboutin is openly gay. He said that his family had known this for a long time, who calmly accepted this fact.

Christian Louboutin is in a relationship with Louis Beneš. Louis is a landscape designer. This couple has been together since 1997.