Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Red

by Elizabeth Chiu

3.12.14

      The color red is hard to ignore because the vibrant shade standouts. A French designer named Christian Louboutin designs luxury footwear. He differentiates himself from the other couture designers because he is known for his bold glossy red soles on every pair. Originally he did not start off with the idea of red soles. The idea came to him when one of his customers was painting her nails with a red nail lacquer. It was 1993 when he launched the idea of red soles and he never looked back. Christian Louboutin shoes are an investment, ranging from 400 to 6,000 dollars. This designer creates shoes for the sophisticated woman in the room. From his deadly stilettos to his riper black leather boots there is always something to admire.

            His dedication to the shoe business is remarkable because he has continued to achieve his goals. Born in Paris France living with his three sisters and mother. He was a teenager who was kicked out of school at the age 16. His father was never around mentor him due to his job. Fascinated by high heels he started sketching his own designs and discovered his passion. Also he learned the ins and the outs of the shoe business and became a freelance designer. Royalty and Celebrities sport his flashy red soles out in public. With the publicity he has gotten over the years from prestige’s icons he has sold over 500,000 pairs every year.

            With his success the name Christian Louboutin has earned a fine reputation. Each pair of shoes has a name for example the Gressimo. In the Think Pink exhibit at the Museum of Fine Art you can see the heels in person. Made in Paris in 2005 and created with leather and suede the soft warm red suede wraps around the structure of the shoe. With an opening at the top showing the first three toes this type of shoe is called peep toes. The front of the shoe has rushing and in the center of the toe a rounded not like shape is formed. With the red lacquer sole and a soft smooth feel from the suede this pair of heels brings a level of sophistication to any outfit.