Christian Louboutin’s love affair with shoes began in 1979, when the 16 year old noted a billboard warning tourists not to scratch the floor at the Museum of Oceanic Art in Paris. The sign troubled him and got the young man thinking – thinking about shoes. Christian began sketching shoe after shoe in his high school notebook. Even those early sketches contained the same sexy aesthetic that he is known for today.

To get his name out there, Christian began to go to parties around Paris with an armful of shoes. He offered them up to anyone willing to look but was often flat out rejected due to the lofty price tags. While trying to grow his business, Christian decided to attend design classes to increase his chances of making a sale.

Finally, Christian raised enough money to open a boutique in Paris. It quickly became one of the hottest spots to shop, not only for the shoes, but for the free coffee and excellent customer service provided. Companies in other countries, particularly the US, caught wind of Christian’s excellent line and service. Stores like Neiman Marcus and Saks picked up the line almost instantaneously.

But Christian still wasn’t satisfied. Sure he was selling globally and making plenty of cash but he wanted something that made his designs stand out in the sea of shoes walking down the street. He became inspired by an employee’s red Chanel nail polish and felt that making a red sole would be the best possible distinguishing feature for his brand. His Andy Warhol inspired flower shoe was the first to feature the illustrious red sole and sent his brand into phenomenal fame.

Christian Louboutin has boutiques in the biggest, brightest cities in the world like New York, Paris, and Hong Kong. He has received numerous awards and distinctions for his designs including a feature story on the Oprah Winfrey show, exhibitions at the Pierre Passebon Gallery and Fashion Institute of Technology among others, mentions in songs by artists like Ciara and Jay-Z, and tons of celebrity fans like Patti LaBelle, Angelina Jolie, Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue, Madonna, and Christina Aguilera.

Tags: andy warhol, angelina jolie, christian aguilera, christian louboutin, ciara, hong kong, jay z, kylie minogue, louboutins, loubs, madonna, mariah carey, neiman marcus, new york, paris, patti labella, red soles, saks, saks fifth avenue

This entry was posted on Friday, November 21st, 2008 at 7:31 pm and is filed under Foot Notes, The Daily Fix. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.