Maybe Vinícius de Moraes was inspired by a woman in high heels when he wrote the lyrics of The Girl from Ipanema in 1962 and Spanish director Pedro Almodovar even entitled one of his films as High Heels (1991).
A shoe has the power to make a woman go through the excitement and pain of a love affair, too difficult to resist but if it's carried out for too long can cause severe damage.
No man can make a woman fall in love as easily as Christian Louboutin, he understands women and knows what they want maybe because he grew up surrounded by them and watched women talking to one another since a very young age.
"Women act differently when there is a masculine presence, they change according to the environment and to whoever is around." Christian Louboutin
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| Christian Louboutin answering questions at the press preview |
He considers himself a man without ambition, "I just want to design shoes", some people laughed because this can be hard to believe coming from a man who is now at the top of his game and making a lot of money, but I do, his shoes reveal genuine love.
"I never think a shoe is completed until I see it on someone's foot." Christian Louboutin
When he's creating a shoe with its recognisable glossy red sole there are three viewpoints in his mind: of the designer, the women's close friend and the man.
His fascination with show girls is captured in this exhibition with a three dimensional holographic performance by the 'queen of burlesque' Dita Von Teese.
"I always imagine women naked when I'm designing." Christian Louboutin
This statement brings to mind Helmut Newton's sexually charged work with iconic images of naked women in high heels. "Some shoes are made for sex" says Louboutin inside the gallery's area dedicated to shoes as fetish, resulting from his collaboration with David Lynch.
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| Dita Von Teese holographic performance |
"It's been quite a journey, bringing memories and it's a bit emotional to see all this work" said Louboutin and we're delighted to go through the magic, drama and theatricality of his world in this immersing gallery experience. And to celebrate this glorious sunny day in London, I'll leave you with samba magic!
Christian Louboutin
Design Museum
1 May - 9 July
Other related blog posts:
Christian Louboutin: Shoe Artist
Shoes for Show
'Birds of Paradise'