The Style List: pretty fly men’s footwear from Christian Louboutin

Anybody who’s remotely interested in fashion knows the name Christian Louboutin. The unmistakable red soles, commonly referred to as “Sammy red bottoms”, are one of the industry’s most recognisable gimmicks.

Revered by everyone from royalty (Louboutin’s first ever client was Princess Caroline of Monaco) to Carrie Bradshaw, Louboutins are the most searched-for shoes, online, in history. But while the brand is generally associated with seductive, skyscraper heels, Louboutin’s men’s line – where the flash of red sole is more subtle but no less effective – has an equally devoted following.

Story has it that the idea of launching a menswear collection came from a female client who asked for a custom-made pair of shoes for her unusually large size 13½ feet. The rest is history and, today, seven out of an impressive 83 boutiques worldwide are purely dedicated to menswear. One of these is to be found in The Dubai Mall.

The Chrisolido shoe pictured here almost deserves a place on the mantlepiece – the dapper man’s city shoe comes in a black Nappa leather or a more daring red, emblazoned with the form of a butterfly in contrasting red “Corazon”, blue “Riviera” and white, which are all feature colours of the spring/summer 2014 collection. The butterfly is artfully placed on the bridge of the foot and cleverly constructed so that the laces become part of the design. The Chrisolido retails at Dh5,490.

www.christianlouboutin.com

ktrotter@thenational.ae

Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.

The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.

It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.

The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.

Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”

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