Tootlafrance fashion correspondent Marie Marsione checks out the new Christian Louboutin “pop-up store” in Paris; dedicated to leather products
Having conquered the world with his famous pumps with the red sole, the king of shoes Christian Louboutin tries to work the same magic on handbags that he has created for his collections in an ephemeral bag store dedicated to leather goods. Situated in the historical covered passage of Galerie Véro-Dodat in Paris, short-term boutique is becoming a shop-window of French luxury where the bags are displayed amidst a Spring-like décor from the 11th of February until the 31st of May 2014.
After having celebrated its 20th anniversary last year with the opening of an online shop, the Louboutin marque is affirming the diversity of the talents of its creator. The pop-up bag store welcomes its clientele in the prestigious milieu of the Galerie Véro-Dodat – a covered passage in the neoclassical style and which is a listed historical monument since 1965, just beside the Louvre Museum. Not far from his first Parisian boutique which initially got the fashion world talking about Louboutin, the pop-up shop presents a collection of his handbags – creations which are all too easily forgotten from the famous shoe designer.
Just like the location for the store was chosen with care, the interior décor of the shop and the selection of produce on show are well thought out and are inspired by the Spring-Summer Collection 2014 of Christian Louboutin which highlights exoticism in art.The “lookbook arty” – a collaboration of the designer with New York photographer Peter Lippmann – blends shoes, bags and fine-art paintings in a profusion of colourful Spring flowers, drawn from paintings of masters such as Van Gogh, Cézanne, Monet and even Pissarro.
The boutique takes up this theme, presenting the leather goods from the Spring-Summer 2014 collection on gilded displays in the midst of a harmonious profusion of elements with a Spring flavour, like branches, flowers or birds that decorate the walls of the pop-up store. The principal pieces of the collection, already included in Peter Lippmann’s photography, are thus back in their original context in the pop-up store. Amongst the highlights are the soft leather Loubiposh pouches, the Panettone wallet, the Sweet Charity – a bag closed by a little metal bow, the Khepira an elegant and uncluttered model, as well as the Riviera pouch, equipped with a clasp that looks like a gambling chip, bringing to mind summer on the Côte d’Azur and its casino ambiance.
Louboutin is making use of the launch of this short-term boutique to present limited-edition bags created to coincide with the Saint Valentine’s Collection. Following the arrangement of the shoe collection of the same name, the leather goods selection is divided into similar: sensual red with the shoulder-strap mini-bag Salina Messenger, powdered pink and cyclamen – reminders of the Radiant Orchid hue defined by Pantone as the colour of the year 2014.Practical Info:
Christian Louboutin Pop Up Store
Galerie Véro Dodat
8, passage Véro-Dodat, 75001 Paris.
Métro 1 & 7 – Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre
Open from Monday to Saturday – 10h30 to 19:00