A heart-tosole with Mssr. Louboutin.
Christian Louboutin on success, happiness and his famous red-soled shoes.
Can a pair of shoes change a woman’s life? “A new boyfriend might change your life more than a new pair of shoes, but the right shoe can definitely change a lot of things, including a woman’s attitude.”
Are you a perfectionist?
“The idea of perfectionism is a little bit too fascist for me. If you decide you’re totally a perfectionist, it means that you’re never happy. I’d rather be less of a perfectionist and think that the next one is going to be better.”
What does it mean to you to have created a brand that is so iconic?
“I can only be proud and happy about what is happening to me, to my company and to my brand because it’s a big celebration of femininity and of women responding to it in a positive way.”
You’ve managed to keep your company private and your vision very precise. How?
“The best way to be and to behave is to be true to yourself and true to what you like. I do not believe in shoes as a supermarket fashion item—something you buy and throw away because they’re too seasonal.”
How important is it for you to push boundaries?
“I’m not trying to push boundaries just to push boundaries. I think my real motivation is enthusiasm. People think that we push boundaries, but it’s not just to provoke; it’s just a natural way of being for me, I guess.”
At what point in your career did you know you had succeeded?
“When I brought back shoes from California to Paris in my hand luggage and the woman at the X-ray machine stopped me because she saw the metal in my bag. She looked at the shoes and at the red soles and was like, ‘OMG! Are you the guy?’ And she started to scream. I was so embarrassed but at the same time very happy. And I said, okay, obviously they know about it.”