Those iconic red Christian Louboutin soles. All other photos by me.
Today might be the first day of summer but in Toronto, it's ALL about Christian Louboutin. The celebrity shoe designer has brought his trademark red soles to the city for the highly anticipated North American debut of his retrospective exhibition, which opens today at The Design Exchange.
At the media Press Conference yesterday, I sat front row (keener) to find out what makes Louboutin tick, and got a sneak peek tour of the exquisite exhibition featuring over 250 pairs of breathtaking shoes. Among other things, I found out that Louboutin enjoys odd pastimes like trapeze-flying, that he once left fashion to become a garden designer, that he's more inspired by showgirls than fashion, that he designs his Spring/Summer collections in Brazil or Egypt and his Fall/Winter collections at his country home with the heat turned off, and that in the future, he hopes to direct a Bollywood movie. Oh, and that famous red sole? Early in his career, he received a prototype of a floral heel and didn't like how the black sole clashed with the fabric. Luckily, his assistant happened to be painting her nails a vibrant red at the time, so he grabbed the bottle, painted the soles red et voilà - fashion history!
Christian Louboutin: An Exhibition Celebrating 20 Years of Design, Artistry and Magic kicks off today and runs until September 15, 2013 at The Design Exchange in Toronto, featuring a spectacular display of shoes, visual installations, sketches and personal artifacts from the designer's colourful 20 year career. Tickets are $22 and include a 1-year subscription to FLARE Magazine (while quantities last). If you love shoes, it's an absolute must. Want to meet the man himself? Christian Louboutin will be at Holt Renfrew Bloor St. for a shoe signing from 4-6 p.m. tonight. Word on the street is that the Loubouphiles are already queued up. Happy Louboutin Day to you! x
(As for whether or not I splurged on a pair after all, scroll down to find out. #eeeeek)
Our press kit featuring bios of all the big shots. This is the journalistic equivalent of a 'cheat sheet'.
Shauna Levy, President of Design Exchange, Donna Loveday, Head of Curatorial at the Design Museum, London, and Christian Louboutin in a wicked blazer.
The exhibition feels a lot like a fairground for shoe fetishists, with a carousel of decadent heels, a shadow theatre, and a showgirl stage featuring a trippy hologram of Dita von Teese.
Every Louboutin shoe starts with a sketch. Wouldn't you just love to own one of these?
A shoe mold is handmade - if you're a celebrity, you get your very own (which finally explains why celebs can stand in heels for so long)
Fabric and heels collide to make an exquisite shoe...
...comme celui-çi! Magnifique!
(I had a Holts gift card and I wasn't afraid to use it :) Well, maybe a little afraid...) #wortheverypenny
If you're a shoe-lover, consider Design Exchange your new happy place.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013 at 3:19PM 
