When you think of Christian Louboutin, you’re most likely to conjure him in a Parisian atelier. But the French designer is just as likely to be found soil-deep in his gardens in Brittany. In his 20s, Mr. Louboutin worked as a landscape designer, developing an instinct for organic compositions. That fascination would be reignited when he purchased the sprawling, 42-acre Kerdalo estate in the village of Trédarzec five years ago, with its gardens open to the public for shared enjoyment. “I’ve been learning through the garden,” he says of the experience, “through the flowers, from the foliage, so many things that I incorporate into my work.”
This botanical journey reaches its climax in the accessories giant’s Fall 2026 collection. The Venus Baguette Tulip, for example, has a pale pink body and stem-like handles that channel the upright delicacy of a tulip, while the Einsnail on the Feet Mule sees a jewel-encrusted gastropod slither across the shoe’s vamp. And beyond the Maison’s eternal red, the line’s hues all have one point of origin. “When I think of what colors look good together on a shoe,” the designer quips, “it’s usually ones that I have thought look good together in the garden.”
For the issue, photographer Jens Ingvarsson reframes the collection, including the above pieces, the Rosa Fruit sandal, and the Mimosa bag charm in a kitchen setting, letting the luxurious objects sit amongst blunt, everyday ephemera. Stripped of Parisian polish, the pieces take on a distinctly Christian Louboutin edge.
Styling by Mat Cullen
Photography Assistance by Dimitri Levdanski
Styling Assistance by Adrian Ababović
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