Women's
California Love For Christian Louboutin’s 20th Anniversary
Mr. Christian Louboutin had just one request before he met throngs of red sole fanatics at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills: an espresso.
He knew he’d have to keep his energy up. And for 4.5 hours, he did. As the music blared and trays of Orangina were passed, Monsieur Louboutin graciously bantered with hundreds of well-heeled fans and enthusiastically signed autographs for them, typically on the iconic red sole. No wonder this beloved man’s footwear brand is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
“Being here in L.A., at Neiman Marcus, reminds me of so many things,” Louboutin says, dressed in a jacket the crimson color of his signature soles. “I remember being here 15 years ago, so it’s absolutely wonderful to be back at this point in my career.”
To commemorate his two decades in the fashion business, Christian Louboutin is releasing an anniversary capsule collection of 20 new shoe styles and 6 one-of-a-kind bags at select Neiman Marcus stores. He describes the pieces as “good souvenirs” representing themes continually referenced in his work, including handicrafts, artisans and showgirls. Another source of inspiration for Louboutin: graffiti. 
Right this way, Mr. Louboutin.
“I love graffiti. It’s inspiring because it’s an art form that is quite young,” he says. “And yet, it’s everywhere. I travel everywhere and you find it everywhere. So it’s very interesting to find this form of expression worldwide. It’s become universal.”
To promote Louboutin’s L.A. appearance, Neiman Marcus commissioned street artist Galo Canote (also known as “Make” or “MakeOne” and “LoveGalo”) to design a Christian Louboutin billboard on the side of a building on the iconic Sunset Strip. The Beverly Hills store windows also got the street-artist treatment for the visit, as did the eye-popping shoe salon. Louboutin lovers where encouraged to “tag” a white wall with their names and messages for the man behind the iconic brand, much as he tagged their new acquisitions.
The Loubi love train rolled on to an exclusive dinner at Ray’s at LACMA, attended by Mary J. Blige.
At the end of the day, when asked for his best style advice for women, Louboutin answered with a single word: “Love.” He purred the word as his eyes danced mischievously. He gives us so much to love.
Shop Christian Louboutin at NeimanMarcus.com and Neiman Marcus stores.
