5 Things about Those Unforgettable Red Bottoms: Christian Louboutin

Warhol x Red Nail Polish

In 1993, Christian Louboutin made a shoe inspired by Andy Warhol’s flower paintings.  He developed the prototype, which was a pink heel with a cloth blossom.  He believed that the shoe was similar to the drawing yet he thought that they were missing something.  Luckily, there was an employee using red nail polish at the time. Louboutin decided to try to polish on the prototype and the rest is history.

Louboutin Manicure

Nail polish inspired red bottoms and Louboutin has paid back the favor by inspiring a specific manicure: The Louboutin Manicure.  The tops of the nails are painted black and the bottom of the fingernail tip is painted red.

Red Wraps the Mind

Red provokes the most response among humans.  The color is intense and induces numerous emotions.  Studies have shown that the color is the only one that is able to make people feel high levels of passion and violence.  Andrew Elliot of the University of Rochester in New York State explains, “Red is the colour of ripe fruit, the angry face across from you, the person showing sexual arousal.”

Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin was born in France.  His father was not around for most of his youth therefore his mother and three sisters impacted his life significantly.  This is shown through his natural feel and understanding of exactly what will spark a female’s fashion interest.  He was expelled at the age of 16 and began working with shoe designed Charles Jourdan.  Jourdan was the first shoe designer to place advertisements in high-end fashion magazines enabling him to separate his brand as high-end.  Louboutin has definitely followed suit: Since his unforgettable red soles were released in 1993, Louboutin introduced his women’s handbags in 2003 and his men’s shoe line in 2011.

Inspiration to Design High Heels

Christian Louboutin was inspired to design high heels after he made a trip to a museum.  At the African Art Museum he saw a sign that showed a sharp woman’s heeled shoe.  The shoe was crossed out (in RED) indicating that heels were not permitted.  He began designing heels for dancers a short time after.  Louboutin continues to design for showgirls all of which include that stunning red bottom.