Shoes as art

While the gift of the internet has made many brands accessible no matter where you live (thank you Al Gore!) it can be worth the effort to seek out a brand-specific boutique or store.  Here is where you will have the advantage of a full selection as well be able to take a peek at the atmosphere and mood the designer is working to create.  It can be fun to see how a designer or brand makes their image tangible.  It is a type of fashion safari where you can observe style, design, and the object of your desire in its natural environment.  It is no hardship to set up base camp in Los Angeles to visit the Christian Louboutin boutique in West Hollywood. 

The boutique design and décor are a mixture of traditional style with unexpected and borderline dream-like surreal touches.  A two story affair, the boutique is surrounded wrought iron fence.  The entry gate has the designer’s name spelled out across the top arch and when you pass through, you enter a small garden.  There, you are met by a giant bird statue, made of what looks like aged cement.  There is the feel of home of decayed grandeur with the promise of the inhabitants embracing a little madness.

Would these pass through airport security?

If shoes are your religion, the Christian Louboutin boutique is your house of worship.  Each pair of shoes is beautifully displayed like an icon.  The first floor of the boutique has recessed niches build into the walls to display the shoes.  The boutique also has an acrylic wall build with the same shoe niches.  The use of  acrylic is like a Philippe Starck Ghost Chair; the display has a weighty presence, but is modern and airy through the choice of material.  It is a stellar backdrop to the drama of the shoes.

A Philippe Starck Ghost display?

A practical arrangement for both storage and worship

 
The design choices for the boutique ranged from the practical (shoe displays) to the bizarre-but-intriguing.  The stair case is an example of the bizarre.  The panel railing is covered in glass bulbs – like clear light bulbs with a blue cast that have been hung in layers on metal panels.  At first glance, it looks like an aging R&B singer wearing an ostrich feather boa who is clinging to a period of faded glamour.  At the same time, I liked the showy look of it.  Oddly, I am still uncertain what side of the score card it landed on; I am not sure if I liked or disliked it.  And, sometimes design done well is uncomfortable at first, but stays on the mind.  What looks bizarre on the runway one day becomes the look that defines an era the next.  (This makes the Alexander McQueen Armadillo shoe all the more frightening).
The service is friendly and the staff is more than willing to assist you in trying on whatever you would like.  The selection of shoes is extensive – but unfortunately, you won’t see every style.  Some styles only make it to department stores and never make it to the boutique.  Do not despair; you can find shoes that range from the subdued to the full-blown-circus.   It is a great chance to try on various styles, see the colors in natural light, and, if the conditions are right, to have a shoe-epiphany.  And, while the prices are as high as the heels can be, looking at the designs is free.  You can use your observations to inspire your shopping in other locations.  If that is the case, look at the materials, colors, heel height, and balance between the traditional and the unique.  You can search for shoes that have a similar feel at a price point that works for you. 

Not for amatures - these are shoes that mean business

Experiencing the atmosphere and taking in the latest collection provides a great deal of food for thought.  It is best to retreat to your fashion-safari base camp after your visit to Christian Louboutin West Hollywood and process the experience over a cappuccino. Big game fashion hunting is still an accessible adventure in the age of the internet – and perhaps more so with the ease of access to information.  Take some time to explore designer boutiques and spark your own ideas for style.

If you go to buy or to be inspired:
Christian Louboutin
650 North Robertson Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 247-9300
Open Mon-Sat 11am-7pm; Sun 12pm-5pm