When I wrote this article about upcoming exhibits in Toronto, I anticipated joining the crowds when the Christian Louboutin exhibit opened on June 21, but I was fortunate enough to attend the opening party last Thursday, getting a first look at the beautiful collection of historic pieces and even getting a peek at Mr. Louboutin himself!
If you’ve ever been to the Bata Shoe Museum on Bloor, you know what a rather dull shoe exhibit can look like – shoes placed in glass domes, in designs that mimic your grandmother’s slippers, and some dry information on the history of the shoe – certainly not an impactful experience to put it plainly. As you can imagine though, the Louboutin exhibition is nothing short of magical – with hints of Parisian charm and chic, eye-catching elements strewn throughout.
Upon entering the space at the Design Exchange, you are met with carrousels featuring hanging red velvet pillows, displaying a curated collection of Louboutins and flanked in personal photos of the designer. The room is lit with Hollywood bulbs and seashell-shaped spotlights with mirrors placed under each shoe projecting red soles throughout the space.
Putting his 20 years of craftmanship on display truly demonsrates Louboutin’s creativity and legendary vision. The shoes below, from his Autumn/Winter 1993-94 collection, were the original shoe to sport the red sole. Louboutin says, “I grabbed my assistant Sarah’s nail polish and painted the soles red. Thanks to the colour, which acted as a revelation, the original concept completely re-emerged. I thought to myself that no one ever thinks about the soles of shoes, even though, they’ve very important. When you turn to watch a woman walking away, what do you see? An outline, a gait and the soles, which have become two red signals.”
While Louboutin has certainly become known for his use of studs on shoes, like the dangerous-looking Kryptonite (since copied by retailers such as Sam Edelman), he’s also just as well known for the simple black or nude patent pump, one of the brand’s bestsellers. In a word? He is versatile.
His shoes have adorned the feet of royalty, of celebrities, of many gold diggers, and even Miss Piggy!
On the construction of his shoes, Louboutin says “Ninety per cent of my shoes start with a drawing. The complicated but very important thing is to remain as faithful as possible to the original design.” I can only imagine what the “Gymnaste” looked like in sketch form! Truly one piece that belongs in a museum and not on someone’s body…
It was interesting to read of the Louboutin / YSL partnership, since in recent years, the only news relating to these two was a heated red-soul lawsuit that ended in dropped charges 18 months later. Evidently, the relationship was not always sour as Louboutin speaks of Mr. Saint Laurent dearly after the two designed a collection together, marking the only time that the iconic YSL logo was allowed to be used by another brand. Louboutin designed these when he learned that Saint Laurent was closing his couture house.
I’ve purposely left out important parts of the exhibit – like the Architecture room and the Fetish room (no pictures allowed!) – to avoid too many spoilers, so I encourage you to check it out this summer! ‘
It runs until September 15.
Click here for ticket information.
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