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Profile on real women & their Louboutins: Carla
What dreams are made of…
Samira Strass, Carla’s signed wedding shoes
It’s difficult to explain the significance of certain aspects of our lives to friends and family. Some of us take on a variety of roles in life; we balance careers, school, family, and relationships. In the rare moments we take for ourselves, we may pursue other passions. I’m hesitant to use the word ‘hobbies’ but the word may be a best fit in this case. In our years of living in New York we have seen it all: Comic-Con and a host of other shows for dedicated ‘collectors’ and fans come and go, sports teams evoke passionate fans or even groupies, but we think the passion of a Louboutin ‘collector’ is a bit different. We may share some of the same traits as other fans/collectors. You wear shoes each and every day you leave your home and they are part of your life by necessity as much as by choice.
Carla’s precious dog watching over her Purple Lizard VPs
Louboutinistas seem to be more passionate about everythingthey do- let’s face it, a red lacquered sole is not a quiet fashion choice.There may be no logos or crests affixed to a Christian Louboutin shoe,but the fiery red sole is ever-present and signals more than a brand for mostof us. It represents the passion we pursue in all aspects of our livesand indicates a calculated choice. You may find that Louboutinistassacrifice in other areas to afford our shoes- perhaps we have less handbags,perhaps we limit spending on fancy dinners or other things. Regardless,purchasing and wearing Christian Louboutin shoes becomes a part of our lives inmore ways than others could understand. In our series on ‘real women andtheir Louboutins’ we hope to bring a better understanding of what Louboutinsmean for the dedicated and passionate Louboutinistas. We hope to bring asense of depth to fashion & shoe devotion by sharing the stories andcollections of our readers.
A special delivery from Paris…
The First Encounter
A few weeks ago we shared Natalie’s collection with you and we hope to bring you updates on her recent additions soon! Today, we are delighted to share the collection of a brilliantly talented, passionate and kind reader: Carla. Carla is a beautifully polished, fashion-savvy and engaging woman. Behind her big smile, glowing tan and long hair is an ivy-league educated Doctor with more passion for life than we can explain! Carla travels, scuba dives, and…collects Christian Louboutin shoes. We caught up with Carla after her recent wedding which follows a big move from New York to California.
Carla, looking divine on her big day
Carla has graciously shared pictures of her collection with us. For Carla, as with many of our readers, each pair in her collection has been carefully selected. There are some wonderful stories behind each of Carla’s 36 pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes.
We always ask readers what prompted them to start wearing Louboutins We have yet to find someone who does not remember all the details surrounding the first purchase. Carla is no exception- she has been wearing Louboutins for nearly 10 years.
”I have always been into shoes, but I remember seeing the Helmuts on all the
movie stars (Kirsten Dunst in particular) and I fell in love with it.
That was the first time Louboutin as a shoe designer came into my radar.”
Ironically, Carla’s first pair of Louboutins was a pair of flats! She admits that she had a fear of heel height in her early days of collecting; the ironic part comes when one looks at her current collection.
The very first pair.
Conquering New Heights
Amber Strass, 160mm
When you ask a Louboutinista what her favorite pair is, there is usually a long pause. If an answer ever follows it’s usually with great trepidation as though picking one pair will make the other pairs feel bad. What you might want to know be surprised to find out is that it’s not always the most expensive or flashy pair that is at the top of a Louboutinista’s list; it’s almost always a pair with a particular story of passion attached to it. There is often a rotational aspect to picking a ‘current’ favorite. Carla is currently in love with her Amber (pictured above in gorgeous Volcano Strass). However… her all-time favorite is her Fire Opal Strass Lady Claude. Why? They were a Christmas present from her darling husband and “they are just perfect”.
Fire Opal Strass Lady Claude 120
We do know several women who have several pairs of Louboutins that have yet to touch the ground. It may seem absurd to have such expensive shoes without ever wearing them, but it’s far more common than one would think. Carla, however, wears her Louboutins It would seem out of character for someone so passionate about life and so active to have her shoes sitting idly on a shelf so it’s fitting that she wears them nearly every day. Did we mention that Carla is a Doctor? She wears most of her Louboutins to work (except the obviously over-the-top pairs). We commend her and other women who wear their Louboutins on a daily basis- how many women do you know who can walk around in 5 inch heels for 7+ hours a day????
Carla’s Purple Lizard VP, one of Carla’s favorite pairs. Carla can wear these all day in a busy hospital environment- we’re not talking about a desk job here- Carla is on her feet for hours at a time and she does it all in 120mm (about 5″)
Ulona
Wearing CLs often evokes a special feeling or attitude for us and for many women who wear them. We asked Carla the same question.
“I feel happy, uplifted, sexy, beautiful, and instantaneously put-together…
When I’m feeling down, every time I look down at my feet, it makes me feel better.
With CLs on, I can rule the world! ”
We couldn’t agree with her more.
Meeting the maker…
Carla has been luck enough to meet the dear Msr Louboutin. In fact, he has autographed some of her shoes. Carla described in great detail what it was like to meet the shoe designer.
”I remember every minute of it, I was sooooo nervous and excited at the same time.”
Carla has had 3 of her beautiful shoes signed.
“One pair (my wedding shoes – Samira Strass) were taken by my favorite SA to the man himself in his paris office, and then shipped out to me (this was all a secret, planned between my then-fiance and my SA)”
Carla’s autographed shoes
Close-up of Carla’s wedding shoes
Samira Strass,autographed by the man himself!
Carla’s autographed Purple Lizard VPs
We are always curious if those lucky enough to meet CL and have a shoesigned actually wear them. For Carla, the answer is an overwhelming yes!She wears her Purple Lizard VPs all the time, and was delighted to wearher Samira Strass on the big day. Carla has since parted with the gorgeousBarbie Pink Claudias, but they made room for some spectacular new additions!
Worth the wait
There is an entire world behind the retail eye candy seen by most people.For those in-the-know, rather those completely devoted to ChristianLouboutin, there are endless options. For an additional 25-30% aboveretail price plus and average wait time of 3 months(depending on the season),clients can order custom Louboutins. Most of us refer to these customorders as “SOs” (short for special orders). Carla received hervery first SO this summer after 15 long weeks of waiting! Her customizedLouboutin is an exquisite Lady Claude in Anguille Violette with a red tip.
“I absolutely love them, and the red patent tip was my husband’s brilliant idea,
and it came out so well! Really pops against the purple!”
Gorgeous purple eel skin with a unique vertical panel alignment
Though they do hold a special place in Carla’s heart, they are not her most special pair. We told you that Louboutinistas can never pick just one favorite! Regardless, they are stunning!
Questing for the Holy Grail….
What more could a Louboutinista possibly want besides strass, exotics andspecial orders? In the world of the fashion-obsessed, the terms”Holy Grail” or “Ultimate Holy Grail” take on new meaning.”HG” or “UHG” can refer to items that one might bequesting to find. The items, or shoes, in question are usually extremelyrare and difficult to find because they are from older seasons or because theyhave sold out in retail stores. In the Christian Louboutin world, most”HGs” and “UHGs” are sought after on auction sights likeebay. Additionally, online forums, like The Purse Forum, have specialsections dedicated to Christian Louboutin. Here, like-minded Louboutinistashelp there friends in the quest for their holy grail shoes.
Carla has a list of styles she has been lusting after. In particular, she has been searching for a Red or Blue Patent Castillana. This style is just extremely difficult to find both because it is from several seasons past and because the Red & Blue patent versions were made in limited quantities. As if that was enough, Carla is does not fall within the most popular shoe size range (7-9); her smaller size is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to finding shoes.
Blue Patent Castillana
Photo courtesy of The Purse Forum’s Jetsetgo (another majorLouboutinista!!)
Another shoe on Carla’s list is the blue Ostrich So Private or Hyper Prive. She passed on these two shoes based on pictures from the Paris Boutique that made the shoes seem too dark. It was far too late when she realized that the gorgeous blue color.
Blue Denim Ostrich So Private
The original picture Carla saw from the Paris boutique.
The same color ostrich in Hyper Prive; this one in natural light.
Photo courtesy of another lovely Purse Forum member.
We can see why Carla changed her mind about the blue!
Third, the Calypso- and not the black/blue version seen on Victoria Beckham more than a handful of times. This shoe was received with mixed feelings- it was one of the first runway styles to hit boutiques in Fall 2009 and maybe we just weren’t ready for that combination of colors and materials. As time went on, and as stock sold out, many of us became increasingly interested in the style. A representative from the Louboutin press office told us that every single pair has been sold or ‘loaned’ for press purposes. Even the remaining pair reserved for archives was sold recently, leaving one or two on display permanently in the Paris offices. Unfortunately, clients usually do not have the option to custom order specialized runway styles like this. Carla will have to wait patiently for one to surface online.
L to R: Calypso in Red Velvet/Black Ostrich, Calypso in Black Velvet/Strass,
Black Velvet & Strass Bootie (All 3 part of J. Saunders runway)
Another limited edition on Carla’s list is the Fuxia Lizard Bianca, sold at the South Coast Plaza Boutique. Carla missed out on these beauties by mere minutes; when word got out that SCP had received the shipment and in 1 size run, they sold out in less than a day.
Fuxia Lizard Bianca
The Rainbow Strass So Private was one of the first strass styles to reach the ‘masses’ when Bergdorf’s featured the shoe for pre-order and eventually for retail both online and in-store. Carla again made a decision based on the pictures, but once she saw it in real life about a month ago, she regretted her decision!
So Private in Multi Color Strass (Makimay clutch in back)
And finally, the “UHG”, the Alabrastro CrocodileAlta Dama. Carla’s “ultimate dream shoe” comes at a price tagof nearly $6,000 but we have to agree with Carla that this shoe is simplybreathtaking. We actually have this shoe on our list, and regret notmaking the purchase last year at Madison Avenue.
Alabastro Croc Alta Dama
The picture above hardly does this shoe justice!
We can’t have every shoe, can we? We’re sure that Carla willcontinue to add to her list, and we certainly hope she can find some of theserare holy grails. In the mean time, Carla’s current collection is thestuff that dreams are made of; there are several holy grails of ours and ofmany others in her current and past collection! Carla’s collection islike her life and her personality: go big or go home! There are nofillers, no fluff and each pair has been carefully selected based on passion;we love that Carla makes no excuses for herself or her collection. Sheembodies the life that Msr Louboutin breathes into each of his creations.
We hope you enjoyed a little glimpse into the life of a very passionate Louboutinista. Below are some additional pictures from Carla’s past and present collection. Carla shows us how there is more than meets the eye when we look at luxury goods and those who love them. You may think twice about judging the woman with her expensive shoes next time! Behind Carla’s red soles is a young woman full of passion who has been working exceptionally hard to reach her academic, professional and personal goals. We wish her love and Louboutins in her new chapter as a married woman and hope that she continues to share her shoes with us!
Carla’s Shoe Display Case
A group shot!
Blue Suede Alta Iowa, Barbie Pink Claudia, 2 versions ofCatenita Trash,
Multi Color Damas Greissimo, Coral Patent Banana
Group shot of exotics!
Black Python Y-Opens, Blue Acid Lady Claudes, Cosmo Python SoPrivate,
Impero Python Declic, Java Candle Roccia Lizard MadameClaude,
Beige Roccia Python VPs, Grey Nabuck Python Alta Damas,
Python Jaws, Lizard VPs
Youpli: 1 of only 39 pairs made!
Each pair is hand marked with a # that identifies it as part of the series.
Black Python Y-Opens
One of the most sought after pairs by Louboutinistas.
It’s unique low-cut profile, exposed platform and ankle strap
make it one of the sexiest shoes ever!
They were made in limited quantities several seasons ago.
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WOW! I wish I had half or even 1/4 of your collection. You’re so lucky to own all these red soles/souls!!!
I’m in love looking at these.
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