March 11, 2021 |
It’s been a big week for Christian Louboutin. Not only did the French king of red-soled glamour unveil his new AW21 collection, but he also welcomed a major new business partner. Exor, the Amsterdam based holding company, controlled by the Agnelli family, which also owns Ferrari, just took a 24 per cent stake in the luxury shoe brand. The deal valued Louboutin at over €2bn – a remarkable achievement given the blow that Covid economics has dealt to so many luxury players.
It puts plenty of vroom behind the shoe house, which has successfully diversified into menswear, beauty and other accessories in the past few years. Expect to see it roar out of the pandemic with big multi-platform expansion plans. No wonder the AW21 co-ed collection, presented in a witty airport themed video, filmed at the futuristic American Airways terminal at JFK, brimmed with optimism and confidence. Red, high-shine, high heeled pumps played a starring role. You couldn’t get a more extrovert shoe – it was as if the past year of Crocks and comfort-wear really didn’t happen.
These sassy spikes vamped alongside block-heeled Mary Janes and studded sneakers, whilst mock-crock mules and Cuban-heel ankle boots were strung with chunky chains that cleverly matched the jewellery line. Thirty years after the label launched and with that signature flash of defiant red, Louboutin struts into the future.
Photography courtesy of Christian Louboutin.
