Simply Abu Dhabi XI

S how us a woman who doesn’t lust after the red soled footwear of Christian Louboutin and we’ll show you a liar. His shoes have become globally synonymous with luxury, success and female appeal. The Pigalle pointed-toe stiletto is a cult classic. The red sole remains, but each year the French footwear maestro reinvents what lies above. This year Egypt was his muse, which in the past have included influences as diverse as Bollywood and ballet. Louboutin’s fascination with shoes allegedly began when he visited the Musée national des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie in his hometown of Paris. Seeing a sign from Africa forbidding women in stilettos from walking on a building’s wooden floor he was resolved to defy the rule wanting to “create something that broke rules and made women feel confident and empowered”. He has certainly succeeded. In a long and feted career he has dressed the feet of the rich and famous around the world. The Autumn/Winter collection is a sophisticated collection of bold, jewel-like colours and rich textures. Accessories follow the same heady tones, adding tartan fabrics, delicate lace and strong silhouettes. The Pigalle has been refashioned with an even slimmer – impossibly slim – heel, which are no less vertiginous. Bold colour is in vogue (though Louboutin would refute the concept of ‘fashion’ which he says becomes quickly dated). ‘So Kate’ is beautiful for its shimmering bronze specchio. Expect to see it on a red carpet near you imminently. ‘Armura’ an over the knee boot in seductive scarlet. The ‘Lady Peep Spike’ combines blue khol shades with leopard print. Sheer lace panels enhance the arch of the foot and elongate the leg. Unusually for Louboutin, his range of flats is comprehensive. The ‘Zazou Flat’ is the women’s answer to a dress shoe, like a classic lace up oxford in indulgent fabrics. There are masculine overtones but they’re muted by hand-finished bows, semitransparent lace and hand embroidery. Spikes and ponyskin are well represented. It’s been presented against the arresting backdrop of ancient Egypt, azure blues and glimmering golds; pharaohs and hieroglyphs. His shop windows have been draped in gilded cloths, papyrus scroll paintings and ancient Egypt figures wearing high-heeled Louboutins in a nod to the inspiration for this season’s collection. Louboutin has had a long and well-documented love affair with Egypt, writing it into his personal history after convincing himself at a young age that his darker skin meant he had been adopted. He and his partner have a home in Luxor and a houseboat on the Nile, among other international seats. It is to Egypt that he turns when designing summer shoes. 1 6 8 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I

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