The Spring Summer 2017, Christian Louboutin’s Men’s collection sees two worlds collide in a fusion of shoe-making past and present. Celebrating this convergence of traditional, centuries-old Italian leather manufacturing and innovative and boundary-pushing design, Christian Louboutin demonstrates the beauty to be found when skill meets unabandoned creativity.
HUBERTUS: Construction takes centre stage in the cap toe Derby Hubertus a Louboutin Homme classic with a characteristic exposed ankle silhouette and open lacing system is crafted using handwork expertise by skilled artisans in the Maison’s Neapolitan base. The precision and extraordinary depth of leatherwork knowledge displayed within the style is matched in excellence only by the specially sourced high quality leather with which it is created.
DAURASSIC: The Daurassic celebrates the range of skills found in the inter-generational team who proudly display their métier through the collection. Here, we find a subtle spike detailing to enhance the form of the style, adding definition at the toe cap whilst a complex construction of contrasting panels offer the wearer a style with versatility galore.
TOP DAVIOL: Use of machinery within production is disregarded wherever possible to allow traditional techniques to flourish, each hand touching the style during the manufacturing process a triumph for specialist handcraft. The Top Daviol, a red-carpet favourite of celebrities around the world, achieves its sleek city look through Lambris, a method of smoothing the leather sole and painting edges with a wax based dye for accurate colour matching, to catch the natural waving of the leather.
PLATTERISSIMO: The hand-painted finish, or patine, applied is unique, adding depth of colour and shine that cannot be achieved through natural leathers. The patines used are each 100% natural, without any chemical intrusion and are hand-applied over several steps lasting 1-2 days. This process of hand application by artisans ensures the achievement of the perfect shade, as seen on the Platterissimo, a harmonious blend of process and formula.
CHARLIE ME: Representing a seamless union of traditional shoemaking with contemporary living, the Charlie Me full brogue offers a handsome silhouette with a distinctively sporty touch. The tonal, all-terrain lug sole adds an ultra-masculine edge to the style, offering a transitional style for on and off duty. The decorative broguing offers discrete embellishment whilst a flash of signature Louboutin red adds a dashing line.
CRAPAMALE: Stepping up into new heights, the Crapamale in white is given distinction through the elevation of its broguing detailing, the classic decorative perforations unexpectedly exchanged for high-shine metallic rounded studs on its uppers. This sense of newness continues with its updated sturdy rubber lug sole in matching white for a bold look for summer.
