The Design Museum presents the first UK retrospective of iconic French shoe designer Christian Louboutin, celebrating a career which has pushed the boundaries of high fashion shoe design.

Louboutin’s exquisite shoes, with their instantly recognisable glossy red soles, are a unique fusion of fashion, craftsmanship, engineering and sculpture. This exhibition celebrates Louboutin’s career to date and showcases twenty years of designs and inspiration, revealing the artistry and theatricality of his shoe design from stilettos to lace-up boots, studded sneakers and bejewelled pumps. Louboutin’s shoes are the epitome of style, glamour, power, femininity and elegance.

Drawing from Christian Louboutin’s personal archive, the exhibition presents his celebrated shoe designs, referencing the origins of the iconic red sole, through to the latest Louboutin collections including a range for men and desirable handbags. A dramatic exhibition environment will present Louboutin’s artistic personality and creative approach. It will examine the many sources of his creativity, shoes inspired by performance, cabaret and the showgirl; fantasy and fairy tale; art and architecture; film; landscape and travel.

The exhibition will also focus on the handcrafted shoe, one-off designs which incorporate his highly innovative ideas, forms and materials. There will be a special section dedicated to the shoes designed for ‘Fetish’ an exhibition at the La Gallerie Du Passage, Paris in 2007, a unique collaboration of photography between Louboutin and acclaimed artist David Lynch.

At the core of the exhibition will be a unique exploration of Louboutin’s design process, taking the visitor through every stage of the design journey, revealing how a shoe is constructed, from the initial drawing and first prototype through to production in the factory. Looking beyond design and production the exhibition will also explore the company’s innovative store design in which Louboutin is always closely involved.

Ends DESIGN MUSEUM, SHAD THAMES, LONDON SE1 2YD OPENING: 10.00 -17.45 daily. Last admission: 17.15 Admissions: £10.00 Adults, £9.00 Concessions, £6.00 Students under 12s Free. PUBLIC INFORMATION T: 020 7940 8790 W: designmuseum.org 1.

Press Conference and Exhibition Media View 27 March 2012 Press Conference 27 March 9.30am – 10am Press conference participants: Christian Louboutin, Deyan Sudjic, Director of the Design Museum and Donna Loveday, Exhibition Curator. Media View 27 March 10am – 1pm Christian Louboutin and Donna Loveday – Exhibition Curator will be available for interview at the Media View. Interviews should be requested in advance. For press conference accreditation, images and interviews please contact: Ashley Woodfield, Design Museum, Press Manager E: Ashley@designmuseum.org T: 0207 940 8787 2. Exhibition Merchandise The Design Museum shop will stock a selection of exclusive Christian Louboutin exhibition merchandise – further details to be announced. Designmuseumshop.com 3. Talks & Events Exhibition related talks and events to be announced shortly. 4.

Exhibition design and graphics by Household About the Design Museum The Design Museum is the world’s leading museum devoted to architecture and industrial design. It is working to place design at the centre of contemporary culture. It demonstrates both the richness of the creativity to be found in all forms of design, and its importance.

The Design Museum is the definitive voice of contemporary design in the UK. Founded in 1989 and currently located in Shad Thames, its work encompasses all elements of design, including product design, graphic design, and fashion. For the past 22 years, the museum has hosted exhibitions showcasing some of the most important pioneers of design including, Paul Smith, Zaha Hadid, Jonathan Ive, and Dieter Rams. The Design Museum plans to relocate from its current home at Shad Thames to the former Commonwealth Institute building, in Kensington, West London. The project is expected to be completed by 2014.

Leading designer John Pawson will convert the interior of the Commonwealth Institute building to create a new home for the Design Museum giving it three times more space in which to show a wider range of exhibitions, showcase its world class collection and extend its learning programme. For more information please visit: www.designmuseum.org