Christian Louboutin

Profile

Christian Louboutin’s first men’s store in the U.S. reflects the twin sensibilities of glam and refinement that define the French designer’s footwear, handbags, and accessories. Take, for example, a weekender bag made from fine charcoal suiting wool that sits in a front window display, or shiny, gold-spiked loafers on one diamond-paneled leather wall, while black cap-toed oxfords—with zipper teeth accenting the stitching—grace another. The store itself features the brand’s signature red-carpet looks plus personal touches: oil portraits of friends; an abstract human form cast in steel that doubles as a display for studded iPad cases and wallets; the weathered crown of an old Parisian advertising column that lives a new life as a light fixture, shedding light on Belgian loafers in wool plaid, navy, and black. — Max Thorn