FRANCE: Red-soled shoemaker Christian Louboutin celebrates his 20th anniversary with a new role as "Guest Creator" of the legendary Paris cabaret the Crazy H

Record ID: 644370

  • Title: FRANCE: Red-soled shoemaker Christian Louboutin celebrates his 20th anniversary with a new role as "Guest Creator" of the legendary Paris cabaret the Crazy H
  • Date: 2nd March 2012
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHOE DESIGNER CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN, SAYING: "What's been the most difficult thing is that when you are a little bit exposed in a way, there is this copy arriving, and it takes a lot of my time to try and protect myself and I think it's annoying, it's sad and I think it shouldn't be like that."
  • Embargoed: 17th March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France, France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA64K6OZZECH6S3F1B0WGAGBW5E
  • Story Text: Shoemaker to the stars and the byword for luxurious footwear, Christian Louboutin unveiled his newest project as "Guest Curator" of the Crazy Horse cabaret in Paris on Wednesday (February 29).
    The French shoe designer created four "tableaux" or segments, with the focus naturally on the foot: "Sparkle" and "Sputnik", "Legmania", "The Penitent" and "Hip-Hop".
    He follows the footsteps of "guest creatures" Pamela Anderson and burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese, adding a touch of class to cabaret.
    Louboutin, who's first job at 13 was working at rival cabaret Follies Bergere, admitted he first hesitated when asked to take on the role but after some thought decided to put his artistic creativity to different artists' use.
    Working closely with Crazy Horse choreographer and dancer Patricia Folly, he transformed his ideas into a show, calling also on his friend "Blue Velvet" director David Lynch and hip-hop producer Swiss Beatz to create the music.
    "The links between the different numbers would be that shoe which is my element, my basic element, is really expressing when a woman puts a shoe on, the expression of the body, it radiates all through the body, and it unnerves all of the body. It changes the body and it moves and again it was the work of (choreographer and dancer) Patricia (Folly), to really have all these movements coming from the foot," Louboutin told Reuters Television.
    This year marks Louboutin's 20th anniversary in the business and besides the Crazy Horse, the designer will mark it with a number of different events around the world, including an exhibition later this month at the Design Museum in London.
    Louboutin's red-soled shoes, which can cost up to 4,700 U.S. dollars, have found favour amongst Hollywood starlets and fashion editors alike.
    But the designer says even in his job there are pitfalls to step in.
    Louboutin sued fashion rival Yves Saint Laurent in April in Manhattan federal court over what he claims is his signature use of lacquered red on shoe soles.
    In August, a U.S. judge denied the request by the French footwear designer to stop YSL from producing high-heeled shoes with red soles like his signature collections.
    The shoe designer filed an appeal in January with judges set to rule at a later date.
    Louboutin didn't talk about the YSL case directly but said: "What's been the most difficult thing is that when you are a little bit exposed in a way, there is this copy arriving, and it takes a lot of my time to try and protect myself and I think it's annoying, it's sad and I think it shouldn't be like that."
    On the positive side, Louboutin said he remains as enthusiastic about his work as ever, nothing can dampen that.
    "I'm working exactly the same way I used to work when I first started my company, meaning really enthusiastic, super happy and cannot wait to see the next one, the next shoe, the next detail, the next thing that's going to happen and the next project. For that, I'm completely still the teenager I was almost when I first started the company."
    "Feu" or "Fire", the Crazy Horse show created by Louboutin, will be at the cabaret from Monday (March 5) to May 31, with a preview on Sunday (March 4).
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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