If you don't have them, you want them. And, if you have them, you want more. That's the spell of the red sole and the sorcerer behind this red magic is no other than Christian Louboutin. Born in Paris, Louboutin embodies Parisian chic and nonchalance, all wrapped up in one charismatic package. His ability to be animated, yet not exaggerated or unnatural, makes him one of the most genuine individuals in fashion today. "It was a 1950s sketch of a heel that had been slashed out with a red line," explains Louboutin. "It was there because in the '50s the very high skinny heel — the stiletto — was made with a piece of metal at the end. Therefore, it was forbidden to wear the heels inside the museums in France as it would ruin the floors which were made from parquet or mosaic."
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Alasdhair Willis, co-founder of the design label Established & Sons, and his partner, Stella McCartney, had double reason to celebrate at the dinner party they hosted in Milan on Wednesday night. Her new boutique has just opened on via Santo Spirito, and his latest furniture collection is, as usual, one of the must-sees of the annual Salone del Mobile. Not surprisingly, the crowd at dinner was a curated cross-section of the design and fashion worlds, including Tom Dixon and Ronan Bouroullec from the former, and Christian Louboutin and Giambattista Valli from the latter. "To come to Alasdhair’s event and to co-host a dinner, it’s always a great moment of pride for me," said McCartney. "I’m so impressed with what Established & Sons have achieved; their product looks so slick and cool. I also think that we complement each other quite well in what we do."
You could say the couple that launches together, stays together.
Louboutin is a self-proclaimed follower of life, with his ambition and dreams taking a backseat to luck, yet his designs are due to anything but. They are meticulously designed with the sophisticated woman in mind, and are leading the fashion world one foot in front of the other.
The legend of Louboutin begins at the young age of 11 when he was an average kid of curiosity exploring the interiors of the African and Oceanic Art Museum. But unlike most children, who would have been engrossed with the exhibits, young Louboutin was stuck on a primitive poster on the wall.