Hold your breath. Make a wish. Count to three. Come with me and you’ll be, in a land of pure imagination.

Walking into Christian Louboutin’s new boutique at Al Khayyat Center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was just that: A land of pure imagination. Much like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, only instead of waterfalls of coco and giant gummy-bears in trees, there in carved-out coves stood the red-soled objects of desire.

VIP customers and dedicated fans were quickly regressed to children. Like kids with the golden tickets, these women froze in awe as the shoe god approached. And he did not disappointment.

Minus the summersault, but multiplied in presence and charisma, Christian Louboutin managed to put on an unforgettable show. He stood patiently for pictures and then sat down to sign customized autographs on everything Loubi; from his famous red soles, to magazine covers and Barbie dolls. These women had voluntarily packed themselves into his red-carpeted boutique just to have a chance at meeting the one man responsible for bringing back the stiletto.

Louboutin fell in love with stiletto at the same moment he decided to start sketching shoes. He was only 12 and had been visiting the African and Oceanic Art Museum. It was there he saw the most intriguing sight in the while museum: “It was a 1950’s sketch of a heel that had been slashed out with a red line,” explains Louboutin. “It was there because in the 50’s the very high skinny heel, the stiletto, was made with a piece of metal at the end of it so therefore, it was forbidden to wear the heel inside the museums in France, whose floors would be ruined since they were always either parquet or mosaic.” And then he began sketching those forbidden objects, subconsciously preparing himself for his later mission in life: to become the “Shoemaker of the Stars.”

Although, the late Ferragamo may have been known as, “Shoemaker to the Stars;” Louboutin’s cult following of Hollywood A-listers, has made his shoes commonplace on the red carpet.  And we can’t seem to get enough of them.

His designs are bold and uncensored, made purely out of dreams. His gift comes in his ability to make shoes that are extremely hot without being extremely painful. He received his education on both form and function through rather unconventional means. “When I was 12, I would go see the showgirls dance,” confesses Louboutin, “I was attracted to showgirls, I loved how they sparkled and were dressed up as birds.” But it was as a 16-year-old intern at the famous French music hall, Folies Bergéres, that he got his real education into women. “I remember when I worked at, the dancers were always having me buy veal carpaccio,” narrates Louboutin, “And one day I told them, ‘My God, you eat a lot of carpaccio!’ and they laughed and said, ‘No, we put the sliced meat into our shoes for padding. And I was like, ‘Oh!’”

Although, he knew what he wanted to do—“ I grew up thinking women belonged on stage, and I wanted to keep them there”—he still didn’t know how to make shoes. “I learned a lot from the dancers and about women,” explains Louboutin, “But I didn’t learn anything about designing!” For that, he interned at Jourdan in Romans, the makers of Dior footwear at the time. And the rest is history.

Armed with the aesthetic, the expertise, and a mission, Louboutin went on to become the phenomenon his is today. Like bulls, we are involuntarily attracted to his red-soled creations. We have no more possess control over our over-indulgent urge to get more Louboutins!

And the reason can only be explained by enchantment. We are charmed by his attention-to-detail and captivated by his female insight. His technical skills make him a magician of sorts. A hidden platform makes us suddenly appear taller, and his play on nude colors instantly elongates our extremities. His four and a half inch heel transforms our calves into toner and more sculpted versions of the real thing. “A shoe gives a different body language and a different attitude and gives a posture. It gives a body consciousness,” proclaims Louboutin. It’s a talent all women seem to understand and appreciate, no matter if they grew up in South Ken or South Beirut.

He’s giving us the confidence to find our sex appeal and flaunt it. He’s providing us with the platform—literally—to show off what we have and strut it with pride. He’s creating a generation of women who are not afraid of their sexuality and possess a rare sophistication of ultra-chic. Louboutin is magically transforming everyday women into confident, sidewalk superstars!

Published in Oasis Magazine: