"India taught me that exuberance can be refined"

DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM THE NINE HUES OF THE NAVRATNA (NINE) GEMS, ICONIC DESIGNER CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN TALKS TO FORTUNE INDIA ABOUT HIS INDIA-INSPIRED COLLECTION LA VIE EN INDE, HIS INFATUATION WITH AN EXUBERANT INDIA, AND HOW BEAUTY CAN BE FOUND IN THE MOST ORDINARY OF THINGS.

- BY PRIYA KUMARI RANA

Christian Louboutin, who created the iconic red-soled shoes (quite by accident, in the early 1990s, experimenting with a move away from boring black), has always been fascinated with India, ever since his teenage years. Today, the global phenom (in India now, and since December 2023, in a joint venture partnership with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd), is firmly entrenched in India's high fashion circles, first teaming up with designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee in 2015, with a shoe line for his collection, followed by limited-edition capsules over the years.

What was it about India that has attracted you over the years?

I was fascinated by the idea that things don't have to be minimal to be elegant. Growing up in France, elegance was often associated with simplicity. But India taught me that exuberance can be refined, that layers, colour, and ornamentation can have just as much sophistication. It started with imagery and imagination, and over the years, through travels, friendships, and deeper understanding, it became something much more personal. India continues to surprise and teach me and that's what keeps the love alive.

You've had collections in the past, from being influenced by Rajasthan, to Kolkata, and now the Navratna. How is this collection different?