Fashion career profile

Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin is a French footwear designer and founder of the luxury house that bears his name. He developed his interest in shoes through early work in Parisian theatre and footwear ateliers, including an apprenticeship at Charles Jourdan and a period as assistant to Roger Vivier. Louboutin opened his first boutique at the Galerie Véro-Dodat in Paris in 1991. The following year, he painted a shoe sole red while working on a prototype, creating the signature that would become central to the brand’s visual identity. A New York boutique followed in 1993. His practice grew from women’s shoes into men’s footwear, leather goods, beauty and other categories, while the founder remained closely identified with the house’s design language. The profile separates his founder and design roles and records the distinct early milestones that shaped the business. It does not invent a formal design-school credential where reliable sources describe his training as practical and atelier-based.

Role
Founder and Designer, Christian Louboutin
Nationality
French
Age
63
Career appointments
3
Fashion houses
2
Active roles
2