Luxury online retailer Mytheresa today launches a collaboration with Christian Louboutin, the French footwear, handbag and accessories designer known for the signature red soles of his shoes.
The summer capsule is available globally at Mytheresa.com and features colorful and playful interpretations of the designer’s sophisticated and often whimsical styles. True to Louboutin’s high-spirited take on footwear, the capsule collection revisits summer essentials such as flip-flops, sneakers and pool flats in a rainbow of vibrant shares.
The designer’s iconic Vieira Spikes sneakers are available in three new shades, the Loubiflip offers a Christian Louboutin makeover of the summer must-have flip flop, with his signature on the soles and spikes on the upper part of the sandal.
Even the pool slide, or Pool Stud, gets the same treatment, and is available in four lively tones. Could the name be a sly reference to the female fantasy of the virile pool boy depicted in endless films?
Loubiton’s Loubishore basket will be available in four colors and two sizes. Handwoven in dwarf palm, a small variety of palm trees, with thinner and more delicate leaves to weave. Each bag is different and unique, for a casual yet refined look. The bags are specially treated so the palm leaves can keep their beauty, shape, and last a long time.
To mark the occasion of the exclusive Christian Louboutin x Mytheresa Rainbow capsule collection, Mytheresa has partnered with Phantom to offer a unique AR experience.
Today, Mytheresa customers will receive an exclusive invite in their mailbox to dive into the world of Augmented Reality and experience the collection in a new way. By using the camera of their mobile device, clients will be able to unlock the experience and collection by scanning the Mytheresa logo. A Viera Spikes sneaker pops up and begins to dance in the midst of stardust, turning itself over to reveal the red sole.
The experience allows users to interact with the collection, play with colors, get direct access to shop, and share styles on social media. Instructions for iOS and android devices includes changing shoe color by pressing and holding on a flat surface, and pinching and scaling to resize.
Christian Louboutin in 1991 started his business in Paris with a collection for women followed by a men’s collection a several years later. Both were recognizable by the signature red lacquered sole.
The sole would become a point of contention as Louboutin waged legal battles against brands he accused of copying the scarlet bottoms of his shoes. Over the years, Louboutin has brought trademark infringement cases against Saint Laurent and others. Saint Laurent in 2011 was at the center of a closely-watched lawsuit. The designer argued that its red sole was protected by trademark and alleged that by selling high-priced red high-heeled shoes that also bore a red sole, Saint Laurent was infringing on Louboutin’s 2008 federal trademark registration.
The brand won a court case this week that validated its European Union trademark on the use of its scarlet color, according to the BBC. The European Union’s highest court ruled that the trademark standard applies to the shape of the sole, and not to its color. “For 26 years, the red sole has enabled the public to attribute the origin of the shoe to its creator, Christian Louboutin,” the designer said.