Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Sole of Christian Louboutin


Is it my imagination or have  red soled  high heels been showing up everywhere?  The Louboutin high fashion shoe brand is flourishing, and why not, just think, each red sole is a walking advertisement to go out and buy another pair of these pricey heels.  
So when Christian Louboutin filed suit against Yves Saint Laurent for a single pair of red soled shoes last week we wondered, what took so long?
The Brand prepared early and in  March 27, 2007 Louboutin filed an application for U.S. trademark protection of this red sole design.

These were worn by Adrian on "The housewives of Beverly Hills" 



Saint Laurent aside, numerous footwear companies have painted their soles red in imitation of Louboutin’s signature.  Customers who can’t, or won’t, shell out hundreds of dollars per shoe recognize, and want, the same sole.  Was it that YSL is equally highbrow?  Did it push the shoe designer over an edge?  Or was it just the beginning of what’s to come?
Apparently, the latter.  Louboutin’s also filed suit against Carmen Steffens of Brazil.  The Sao Paolo-based brand fired back in a press release swearing they’ve been using red soles since years before Louboutin.   They also say that Louboutin can’t lay claim to red soles.  Though the US Patent Office granted Louboutin a trademark for the red soles in 1998 it won’t be any help in this Paris-based case.



I've always been intriqued by the life  of the designers  and how they found their inspiration. You know where it  all began?   This    short excerpt  was found at Wikipedia.
As a child, Louboutin would regularly sneak out of school, from the age of 12, to visit the flea market of Vila do Conde, where all the gipsies loved his shoes. Although Louboutin faced much opposition following his decision to leave school so early, he claims that his resolve was strengthened after watching an interview on TV with Sophia Loren in which she introduced her sister, saying she had to leave school when she was only 12 but when she turned 50 she got her degree. "Everybody applauded! And I thought, 'Well, at least if I regret it I'm going to be like the sister of Sophia Loren!" So started Christain's Career!




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2 comments:

  1. I think Louboutin's have become less about the shoe, and more about the sole. Many of their shoes are just plain courts, which can be purchased anywhere. But its that red sole that people are paying for, saying "Hi I can afford these" and "Aren't I fashionable?" I do love them though, how can you not? Great post.

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  2. Cela peut être un autre doit avoir, comme appartements peuvent toujours être élégant louboutin paris talon trop, en fait, il est idéal pour le week-end si vous voulez donner à ces pieds précieux après une évasion porter des talons plus par semaine.

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