Legendary shoe designer Christian Louboutin. Copyright and courtesy Christian Louboutin
Superstar shoe designer Christian Louboutin, whose signature red-soled pumps with vertiginous stiletto heels are the de facto shows for glamourwear, has dominated luxury footwear since the nineties. Harriet Quick speaks to him about his long career, his charity work with actor Idris Elba, Kate Moss and sailing down the Nile
Good ideas take time to mature and, when entwined with hope and empathy, they can flourish. Such was the situation when Christian Louboutin picked up the phone to his friend, the actor Idris Elba, after the tragic murder of George Floyd in May 2020. Both were in deep shock, amplified by the isolation of lockdown, and wanted to do something, to take action. Louboutin, remembering his friend enjoyed sketching designs for shoes, proposed a philanthropic venture: Walk a Mile in My Shoes. In essence, a capsule collection of shoes with 100 per cent of the profits going to benefit charities fighting oppression and advancing racial justice, equal rights and access. Follow LUX on Instagram: luxthemagazine
Elba immediately said yes and proposed the idea to his wife Sabrina on her birthday. She was over the moon. ?Not to act, to remain silent was not an option ? I knew this in my heart,? says Louboutin. ?We decided that if there is a message ? it has to be optimistic. I don?t want to emphasise the toughness of reality and we picked organisations that are proactive. We want to s...