5 cool things about Christian Louboutin and his exhibition at Paris’ Palais de la Porte Doree

1) He was first inspired by a museum sign

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Louboutin started drawing shoes at the tender age of 12, and one of the first things that sparked his interest was a sign that forbade the wearing of heels inside the former Musee des Arts d’Afrique et d’Oceanie, which used to be housed in the Palais de la Porte Doree. The sign later served as an inspiration for the Pigalle shoe, which is considered his most iconic design today.

2) The Maquereau shoe was inspired by the museum aquarium

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Born in the 12th district of Paris, near the Palais de la Porte Doree, Christian Louboutin was always a fan of the institution. Traces of the architectural style and ornamental richness flow through his designs, but perhaps the most overt influence of all can be seen in the Maquereau shoe. Constructed from metallic leather, the quirky number is an ode to the iridescent fish in the Palais de la Porte Doree’s tropical aquarium.

3) Not all of Louboutin’s shoes were made for walking

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In 2007, Louboutin collaborated with filmmaker and photographer David Lynch to release a set of shoes that could not be worn. The impossible arches were their way of invoking questions on fetishism and sexuality, and to convey that the heel itself is not the object of desire – it is the arch of the foot instead. This titillating collection is one of the many exciting works by Louboutin that will be redisplayed at this exhibition. 

4) Yes, themes on sex are definitely involved

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What else did you expect from the designer who has created some of the sexiest heels today? Divided into 11 key rooms, the exhibition one section dedicated to “Nudes”, a series created in 2006, where Louboutin imagines truly flesh-coloured shoes for women.

The exhibition showcases a collaboration with British leather artisans Patrick Whitaker and Keir Malem of Whitaker Malem. The duo were commissioned to create nine leather-clad sculptures in the nine colors of the Nudes collection, only now with decorative elements such as spikes and nails that are suggestive of domination and sadomasochism. 

5) There will be a ton of reveals

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The exhibition will showcase the designer’s vision, inspirations and creative processes through a selection of the most precious works from his personal collection and loans from public collections, a lot of which have never been exhibited before. It will also unveil collaborations with artists like New Zealand multimedia artist Lisa Reihana, Spanish choreographer Blanca Li, and Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi, amongst others.