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BEYONCÉ AND TAYLOR. It’s hard to think of two people who have been more of a talking point in 2023. And as well as having sell-out, smash-hit tours in common, the star duo also share a shoemaker: Christian Louboutin. ‘They know what they want,’ says Louboutin. ‘I liked the challenge. With performers, it’s not only [about] looking good. You have to forget the shoe because, once it’s on, you don’t want to think about it.’
It’s rather fitting that both music powerhouses chose to wear his shoes in 2023 – a blockbuster year that included the opening of his first hotel in Portugal, a collaboration with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a notably epic fashion show at Opéra Comique, choreographed by the influential Sadeck Berrabah – to mark the 30th anniversary of the designer’s iconic red sole.
Its origin story is part of fashion legend. Back in 1992, a year after he’d opened his first boutique in Paris, Louboutin wasn’t satisfied with a prototype of a shoe he thought looked better on paper than in real life, so he painted over its black underside with nail polish. The result was a lacquered red sole that would go on to be trademarked in more than 50 countries. But why that shade? ‘Back then, a lot of women in France only wore black. But I realised that even if they don’t like colour, their nails and lips were often painted red,’ says Louboutin.
And it’s that flash of fire engine red that has attracted a fan
