Paris Fashion Week is a spectacle and Christian Louboutin, the French shoe designer famous for his red soles, became the ringmaster, presenting of a circus-themed showcase for his men’s Spring 2020 collection. Aptly titled “Loubi Circus,” Louboutin took over the Musée des Arts Forains, a venue that houses one of the largest collections of amusement park rides and fairground objects from the 19th and 20th centuries.
“I’ve always been mesmerized by the circus and the fun-fair aesthetic, the way they combine colors and textures; the way they find tricks to catch the light, making things look extremely beautiful,” said Louboutin. “That’s what I try to achieve in some of my designs.”
Though Louboutin wasn’t directly inspired by the museum, it’s not hard to see how all the vivid colors and ornate motifs associated with carnivals and circuses seeped its way into his designs. “They are definitely part of my creative vocabulary,” he added. A great deal of the presentation followed the more-is-more mantra—from evening slippers cast in red crystals, to lace-ups with paisley patterns and rhinestones, to sneakers that give a whole new meaning to mixed media. The designers also introduced his Nude collection for men, which admittedly looked out of place with the rest of the lineup, and was overpowered by the glitzy setup.
Along with the series of elaborate vignettes that housed the collection, the brand also enlisted stilt walkers, aerialists, fire jugglers, and a performance by singer Robin S.
