
In the Swim
Louboutin and LaChapelle pool resources for a theatrical water-based shoe launch
It’s not easy to make a splash during Paris Fashion Week. So when Christian Louboutin previewed his new line of Miss Z stilettos in September, he didn’t hold back. The feted shoe designer enlisted the creative services of David LaChapelle, the photographer and art-world provocateur known for his Surrealistic use of colour and water. Working alongside fellow photographer Blanca Li, LaChapelle created an aquatic mise-en-scène worthy of Busby Berkeley.
Titled Paris is Louboutining (a nod to cult ’90s documentary Paris is Burning), the tightly choreographed spectacle —staged at the city’s iconic Piscine Molitor—featured a performance by
singer LP and members of the French synchronised swimming team. “I wanted to bring back this feeling of Hollywood cinema from the 20th century,” says LaChapelle, “but the result is very contemporary.”
That the troika of creatives would turn to dance should come as no surprise. As Louboutin explains, “Something the three of us have in common is our love of dance. Blanca made it her world, David some
of his major art works, and I started by designing shoes for dancers.” For those not lucky to have had a poolside seat, the sensory experience has been immortalised in a film directed by LaChapelle and can be seen on christianlouboutin.com. Not to be overshadowed, the Miss Z collection will drop in January 2025 for land-only frolics.

All images courtesy of Christian Louboutin
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