Just mention the name Christian Louboutin to any woman and delightful images of his infamous red soles would pop up right away.

 

As a child, Louboutin once paused in front of a sign at the Museum of Oceanic Art in Paris which displayed a stiletto heel crossed out by two thick lines, reminding women visitors not to scratch the wooden floor. He was very much intrigued and thought “What purpose could such a fine, sharp heel have other than to prove you could create the unreal from something real?

 

He then spent most of his school years reproducing the designs on his exercise books and desktops. Later on, Louboutin became extremely mesmerized while watching the showgirls at some Paris nightclubs. Their captivating costumes he cites as his main inspiration for becoming a shoe designer: “[The showgirls] influenced me a lot. If you like high heels, it’s really the ultimate high heel - it’s all about the legs, how they carry themselves, the embellishment of the body. They are the ultimate icons.”

The glossy red trademark of this couture designer was actually created “by accident” when Louboutin applied red nail polish on a whim to “energise” his creation in 1992. He was once quoted saying “The shiny red colour of the soles has no function other than to identify to the public that the shoes are mine… It attracts men to the women who wear my shoes.”

The rest as they say is history. Season after season, “the boy who drew shoes” became “the man with the gold leaf heels”, then “the man with the Guinness beer can heels” to “the man with the shoes that say Love (two letters per shoe)” and infamously after that as “the man with the red soles.” Today, Christian Louboutin is known as “the man who madeover the most famous girl in the plastic world - Barbie.”

The maker of Barbie, Mattel has teamed up with the legendary Christian Louboutin! Their partnership includes:

1. Louboutin made a hot-pink “Barbie” shoe for real people.

2. Louboutin will customize a Barbie doll and accessories collection.
3. Louboutin helped Mattel create a “diary filled with images of Louboutin and Barbie as they explore the cobbler’s favorite things.”
4. Louboutin will be Barbie’s “godfather” for a year.

On Barbie’s new look, a spokesperson for the designer was quoted saying “He found her ankles were too fat.”

For damage control, Louboutin then said he doesn’t think her ankles are fat - he just thinks they could be thinner.

“Barbie’s foot has always been shaped less ‘curvy’ than the rest of her perfect body,” he said. “I just added my little science to Barbie and I’ve been proud to serve her. But fat ankles she didn’t have, she just could have had thinner ankles. That’s all.

“My God, what a story,” he said, reacting to the controversy. “I apologize to my goddaughter [Barbie]. There has been a bit of confusion there, but it’s just the proof that Barbie has real serious fans.”

The Christian Louboutin Barbie collection consists of three versions- inspired by Nefertiti and Marilyn Monroe.

The famous dolls will be packaged in Louboutin shoe boxes and each come with four pairs of Barbie-size Louboutin heels. They will all be released separately, the first in December, is the jewel thief-themed Barbie; in February, a safari-themed Barbie, and lastly for May, Louboutin designed a Barbie that goes to the Cannes Film Festival. An interesting fact to note is that none of the dolls are blond!!

 

Picture credits to: refinery29, thelifefiles, christianlouboutin, jetsetsocialite

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