Christian Louboutin’s glamorous, surrealist twist on the 1950s-style Hollywood water ballet made a splash at Paris Fashion Week.
At the Piscine Molitor, a storied Art Deco swimming pool, a cast of 14 dancers and 15 members from the French Olympic artistic swimming team presented the designer’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection in high style. The elaborate performance was directed by the photographer and music video director David LaChapelle and choreographed by Blanca Li.
Clad in vintage-style swimsuits, the swimmers slid down a slide that resembled a giant version of the Me Dolly pump, a new red-soled shoe set to debut early next year. As they twirled underwater, the shiny red soles of the Miss Z shoes on their feet moved in unison to create striking shapes.
The brand’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection takes as its point of departure another theatrical, imaginative reference: Beauty and the Beast. Memorable symbols, from the famously elaborate chandeliers in the Beast’s home to the enchanted rose under glass, influenced elements of the designs. One of Louboutin’s most intricate heels in the Belle range features a handmade fabric rose, while Belle’s diamond teardrops are sewn into opulent jewels.
The tension in the story between tenderness and wildness is also evident in the classic Kate Max design, which has been refurbished with claw-like talons on the heel. Meanwhile, the men’s Esquisse Florale features an intricate gold pattern that takes 30 hours to embroider, reflecting the wild beauty of nature.
Those who appreciate a tale as old as time need not fret: Louboutin will also launch extensions of beloved perennial styles, like the celebrated Loubi54 model, now available with soft pouches and as a slouchy tote bag. The Chambelink Strass is a spinoff of the signature pin; made of brass and 200 rhinestones, it will be available as a standalone accessory for evening shoes.
Whether staging a dreamlike water ballet or releasing a fairy tale-inspired line, Louboutin revels in the creative potential of fantasy. All you have to do is be their guest.
