November 29, 2012: London ladies, make way for men. You will now have to fight for Christian Louboutin’s attention! The popular luxury footwear designer has now launched its first men's boutique in London. Moments away from the flagship London boutique on Mount Street, the new store occupies an existing Georgian building on Mayfair’s historic Dover Street.
Entering the two storey store, the signature Christian Louboutin red carpet welcomes visitors, seen here in a deeper, more masculine hue and accompanied by a geometric rawhide border. The bay window at the front of the boutique creates a natural seating with the area marked by luxurious white hide flooring.
In the center sits the distinctive Tiikeri clad cash desk. This sustainable material, made from reclaimed sorghum stalks, takes its name from Finnish for Tiger alluding to its distinguishing natural markings. Design firm Squint created bespoke hand crafted seating solutions for the boutique using colourful geometric woven vintage fabrics sourced by Mr Louboutin on his travels. A hint of the designer’s love for craftsmanship is evident in Jean-Francois Lesage’s humorous yet beautiful hand embroidered Tiger Rugs which occupy the floor.
A staircase leads down to the secondary retail space, a haven for private shopping appointments. Here studded concentric display stands and turquoise blue carpets denote a change of ambiance, with comfortable banquets offering an ideal setting for more leisurely perusals.
The Autumn Winter 2012 collection, stocked at the new store, typifies the diversity of Mr. Louboutin’s imaginative designs. The formal Bruno, the playful Roy, signature spiked Louis trainer and the fashion forward heeled David boot are distinct styles showcased here.
