Jeddah is a long way away from the cabaret of Folies Bergére and Moulin Rouge, but with the opening of Christian Louboutin’s flagship store in Al-Khayatt Center on 26th January, now every Saudi woman can express her inner Parisian showgirl, however subtly.
On 10th April, a very special few had a chance to converse with Monsieur Louboutin to understand how truly fabulous he is.When broaching the question of that perfect shoe, Monsieur Louboutin detests there being just one, since, he chimes, “every woman is many different women, just as there’s no perfect one shoe for every woman.” At least there’s a perfect Louboutin out there, whether heels, wedges or flats, there’s one for every mood, and certainly many a perfect pair for every woman.
On the subject of icons, there’s nothing short of a glimmer in his eye when he mentions his admiration for the illustrious and luscious Dita Von Teese.“Dita is so precise with every detail; from how she likes her corset to everything about her. She has the perfect 50’s iconic look.” Dita, among copious other Hollywood A-listers – and more recently, a sleuth of Arab starlets, count themselves among his ever-increasing loyal following.
First Lady Asma Al-Assad from Syria, Queen Rania of Jordan, and the Egyptian actress Youssra, and Um Kalthoum, all garner titles as Arab style icons, according to the designer. Currently, Monsieur Louboutin is designing something very special for the Arab femme fatal promising to unleash our understated femininity, as he’s done countless times before. “I’m working on something inspired by the Saudi woman, subtle, feminine, and delicate. Maybe transparent black chiffon, nothing solid, or something gold, light and beautiful.” Until the unveiling of the Arab sole crafted and inspired by us, we will have to sample the boutique variety available for us.
Meticulous attention to detail, and let’s not forget the love for showgirls, may be the main reason for Monsieur Louboutin’s success, “when you design a shoe you must be very careful with the heel, it’s like physics, how it supports a woman, her posture, the arch of her foot… pure physics.” Once he honed his technical training upon completing his internship.
designing shoes at Christian Dior, he emerged as designer a la mode, and nothing has changed ever since. Since completing the Dior internship he’s been the designer coveted by other designers, mastering his technical and design expertise alongside the couture houses of Yves Saint Laurent and Roger Vivier.
While his crimson soled heels have reached nothing short of cult status globally, the Middle East masses are following suit locally. Unfortunately, indulging in just one-pair is certainly not enough to satiate the many faces of that inner showgirl lurking beneath.From any color patent-leather stilettos, to silvermetal chain link wedges, and golden filigree mesh espadrilles, any Louboutin creation will definitely bring out the can can in you.