If ever there was proof that genius can emerge in the unlikeliest of places, Christian Louboutin’s history is it. In the early 1990s, in his Parisian atelier, the renowned designer had a spontaneous flash of creativity, one precipitated by something as everyday as a bottle of nail polish.
Louboutin was then checking on a brand new made prototype of a heel he had designed and perfected with meticulousness. While the form was sleek, something about it wasn’t quite right. The black heels, particularly, detracted from the design visually. While the shoes themselves were breathtaking, they were not the spark that he was thinking of.
And that’s when destiny intervened…
One of his aides was in the process of painting her nails a bright, blazing red. Louboutin, taken with the color, reached for the bottle almost unconsciously and started to paint the red lacquer along the sole of the shoe. And just like that the idea that would define his brand was born.
The second the picture changed. That dash of red added energy, audacity, and unmistakable panache. It was dramatic, brazen, and immediately attention-grabbing just the thing his design required. What started as a fleeting creative solution turned into the signature of the Louboutin kingdom.
Looking back on his decision, Louboutin once stated, “Back in early 90s in France, a lot of women wore black claiming they did not enjoy wearing color. If you don’t enjoy wearing color, I thought, you won’t wear green, but you will likely wear red on your nails, on your lips… That’s why I chose to remain with red!”
That red sole has since become so iconic that it’s now trademarked, representing sophistication and sensuality all over the world. Louboutin himself likes to call the moment a ‘happy accident’, a testament that creative genius can come from anywhere including a bottle of nail polish.
