Love letter to India

Christian Louboutin borrows the brilliance of Navratna gemstones for a capsule that explores his passion for India & design

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Christian Louboutin has always designed with a touch of theatre. The man behind the world's most recognisable red soles has never simply made shoes — he creates characters, scenes and entire stories that play out with every step. His work straddles fantasy and functionality, seduction and sophistication. A pair of Louboutins can transform its wearer into someone bolder, taller, perhaps even more luminous. For decades, this balance of allure and craftsmanship has made him one of the most distinctive voices in fashion.

I had the chance to meet him once, and what struck me most was not just his reputation or the aura of his brand, but the passion with which he speaks about design. He talks about shoes as if they are sentient creatures with a soul, purpose, and secrets. His enthusiasm is disarming, his curiosity endless. And when the subject of India comes up, his eyes light up in a way that makes it clear this isn't just a passing fascination. It is a country he returns to again and again, both in person and in spirit, drawing from it textures, colours, and stories that have become part of his creative language.

It feels almost inevitable, then, that his latest capsule collection should be a love letter to India. Titled 'La Vie en Inde,' it arrives as a limited-edition line of jewel-toned shoes and accessories: a vibrant homage to the Navratna, the nine talismanic precious gemstones from the Indian tradition. Rather than embedding stones into the designs, Louboutin distilled their symbolic power into colour, texture, and emotion. “I've always been drawn to objects that carry more than just beauty, things that have a story, a certain mystery,” he says. “Gemstones have that. They shimmer, yes, but in India, they are also alive in a certain way.”

A DIALOGUE OF CULTURES