December 2011 saw house of iconic French shoe design, Christian Louboutin, open its first Manchester based boutique. Housed on the first floor of Manchester’s premium lifestyle retailer, Harvey Nichols, the Christian Louboutin store & boutique stands as the labels first store outside London and 48th store worldwide.
The store will be launching with its Spring Summer 2012 pre collection, consisting of both women’s shoes and bags, with men’s styles continuing to be available from the dedicated men’s area, located on the second floor. The collection is arguably not for the faint (fashion) hearted, with the designer taking inspiration from the 1940′s right through to the 1970′s to create statement making footwear and accessories that proudly proclaim “I never said I was shy!”
For Louboutin, S/S 12 seems to be a juxtaposition of eclectic and class, with the more sleek and subtle designs being matched in their beauty by the more quirky and whimsical. For the girls, highlights of the collection include; candy coloured block heels that are loud and proud with plenty of stomp, fanciful peep toes adorned heel to toe in haberdashery and jewel encrusted courts.
Whilst for the men, Spring Summer offers them grown up loafers dressed with regal crests and fringing, to ghetto fab goes glam in the form of fun sneakers, with an edge of blinging embellishment and rhinestones galore. Louboutin’s signature spikes and studs also make an appearance, forcing their way onto handbags and loafers, doubling as a weapon and adding a tough “don’t mess with me” edge.
The year 2012 also marks an important point of the brand’s history; their 20th anniversary. The milestone will be commemorated throughout the year with various celebratory projects and initiatives including a retrospective exhibition at London’s prestigious Design Museum.
For more information on the Christian Louboutin Store please visit eu.christianlouboutin.com/uk_en/
By Anna Westerman
