It was upon seeing a sign in front of a museum telling tourists not to scratch the wooden flooring with their heels that the French designer decided to only design shoes with tight soles and buckles. At the beginning, these soles were black or grey. After, the designer that is known for his spicy temperament took inspiration from his assistant’s crimson nail polish for the acclaimed color of his heels.
Interviewed for his book by Eric Reinhardt, Christian Louboutin confesses his crazy obsession for stiletto heels that gave birth to the Pigalle shoe – hypnotic pumps. “In those days I went to the MusĂ©e des Arts Africains et d’OcĂ©anie, at the entrance there was a drawing of a pump struck through in red. I later understood that this design represented a pump from the 50s with a metallic tip and that it was forbidden because it destroyed floors. One day, while I was at the Foire du TrĂ´ne, I saw this shoe on a woman that I had only ever seen drawings of. So I followed the shoe, I saw a pair of legs, the legs were walking, and above the legs there was a black skirt, a suit, a high bun… I followed, as if hypnotized, this drawing that was there, in three dimensions. That moment in his life, the bewitchment aroused by this woman and these shoes that he followed… Christian would never forget it – he was blown away by it.
Between jeweled shoes and humorous creations, Christian Louboutin’s designs know how to seduce. A perfect arch, with a plunging neckline, stiletto heels and vermillion varnish as its signature. The sexiest of these stilettos was forged in the image of Parisian cabaret dancers: glamorous, sensual, almost inaccessible. While Serge Larna sang about the women of Pigalle, Christian Louboutin, years later, honored them by naming his mythic shoe after the Parisian neighborhood. His luxurious red sole is at its peak, this object of every fantasy and obsession. It was within the Fall/Winter 2004-2005 collection that the pointed-toe stiletto heeled pump appeared for the first time. Today, it is one of Christian Louboutin’s flagship models and is released every season in new styles and colors. The sculptural lines of the Pigalle take off on top of 12 centimeters of heel, but they exist in other more comfortable heights and even in a flat version. The large collection of Pigalle pumps exists in more than 22 colors.
According to their designer, the Pigalle, more than just a shoe, has two faces: a dual set that works for everyone. “A sexy woman will try on a shoe like the Pigalle and think that thanks to it, she’ll add something a bit chic to her appearance,” he explains. “Another woman, this one very chic, will try on the same shoe and will tell herself that thanks to it, she’ll add something sexy to her appearance.” Sensuality is a promise that is well kept, with these shoes on your feet.
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