By Mari Sato
Last winter Maison Margiela’s spring 2024 artisanal collection caused quite the stir. From the theatrical model walks to the deconstructed lace corsets and Pat McGrath’s glass skin doll makeup, this show went down in Margiela history, standing as a testament to creative director John Galliano’s extreme creativity. But behind all the chatter about the clothes, makeup and set, there were the shoes: red-bottom tabis. Fashion enthusiasts quickly correlated the iconic red lacquer to the Louboutin house code. However, as time passed, few expected these shoes to materialize into an actual collaborative collection.
That changed when the Christian Louboutin x Maison Margiela collection was announced last week. This is the first collaborative collection between the two brands and will release March 12. Although the collection doesn’t include the exact models from the 2024 couture collection, it retains many of the same silhouettes. According to the Maison Margiela announcement, the collection “reinterprets the signature codes fusing the deconstructed aesthetic of Maison Margiela with Christian Louboutin’s savoir-faire and iconic red sole.” The collection features 14 different styles, ranging from red-bottom mesh tabi flats with embellished crystals to banded leather boots with sheer panels.
Although this collection may seem like an unexpected union, it reflects the 40-year friendship between Galliano and Louboutin. Louboutin and Galliano met when Galliano moved to Paris to pursue a career in couture. In a Vogue interview, Louboutin recalls, “‘ [Galliano] was always saying, ‘I love Paris, and Paris loves me!’” Their mutual love for the fashion capital of the world has fueled their creative synergy and serves as a tribute to their vastly different interpretations of style.
Both brands have garnered individual cult followings. You might have a clear picture of what a Margiela woman wears versus a Louboutin woman, but what does a Margiela X Louboutin woman wear? The contrasting aesthetics between the two brands is what has gotten people so excited for this collection. Margiela is rooted in deconstructed minimalism with a muted color palette, while Louboutin embraces classic femininity with bold jewel tones, metallics and obviously bright red. In combining aesthetics, the two designers have created a collection that is both sexy and subversive. The collection carves out a middle ground between edgy and elegant. In doing, the shoes themselves become more versatile and both brands broaden their appeal outside of their usual customers while crafting
In defining who the Margiela X Louboutin woman is, she is neither minimalist or overtly glamorous but exists in the space between. She is rebellious and refined. This collection isnt just about merging two aesthetics but about creating a new identity within fashion. An identity that does not need to subscribe to only one ideology and maybe even embraces a little contradiction. This collaboration sets a precedent for future partnerships between Margiela and Louboutin, but also challenges other brands with contrasting aesthetics to rethink boundaries of creative synergy.
