We all know ultra refined, ultra femme, extremely renowned designer Sabyasachi. And we all know those famous red bottom heels by French designer Christian Louboutin. So naturally when we found out that these two Gods of the fashion world were collaborating, we stopped what we were doing to find out more.
WHO IS CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN
Unlike many designers though, Louboutin never really had formal training or a conventional life. Born in Paris, Christian Louboutin was one of four kids. He was a traditional misfit. By the age of 12, Louboutin was expelled from school 3 times before eventually dropping out. He always thought he didnt fit in at home either because he looked different from his siblings and parents, so he convinced himself he was of Egyptian descent and ran away. Turns out he was different – his mother had a secret affair and in 2014, Louboutin found out his biological father was of Egyptian descent. After this tumultuous beginning, Louboutin decided to take multiple pilgrimages including a year long trip to India in 1980. When he returned he decided to take his lifelong passion for drawing heels and showcase it at local couture houses. Louboutin initially joined famed French shoe designer Charles Jourdan, before freelancing for Chanel and YSL. Then, Louboutin left it all in the late 80’s to become a landscape gardener. Yep, you read that right. When his life wasn’t fulfilled without designing beautiful heels, he returned back to fashion to start his own line in 1991. We are all quite thankful he did.
THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE RED SOLES
When Christian Louboutin was launched in 1991, the red soles were actually not part of the brand. According to Louboutin himself, “My sketches were not reproduced exactly as I had designed them and I couldn’t figure out why. The two dimensional sketch was so powerful on paper, but when turned into a three-dimensional object, it was somehow lacking energy. Frustrated after having tried different things to liven up the design, I spontaneously grabbed my assistant’s red nail polish and painted the sole. I instantly knew that this would be a success!”. The lacquered red leather soles were first introduced in 1993. Today, this signature look is so iconic it has been trademarked in several countries.
THE COLLABORATION
Upon the meeting Christian for the first time, Sabyasachi stated, “Like some of the best things in life, this was completely unplanned and by chance.” The pair met by chance back in July of 2015 when Christian visited Sabyasachi’s Mumbai store. At the time, Sabyasachi asked Christian is they could collaborate but on Sabysachi’s couture runway show later that year. The pair then collaborated again the following October (2016) on a small number of handbags for Sabyasachi’s collection.
Check out this video of the pair interviewing each other!
THE COLLECTION
Today, Christian Louboutin is articulating the feel of Kolkata and his love for India by pairing his iconic stilettos with fabric’s hand selected from Sabyasachi’s private archive of saris and ribbons. This collection was designed to make “embroideries into shoes that can dance into the light.” The collection includes men’s & women’s shoes & handbags with artisanal embroideries. Check out some of the pieces below (click the pictures for direct links to where these styles are available).
