ONE MAN’S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN’S LUXURY SHOE. SEE LOUBOUTIN’S “GINZA TRASH” COLLECTION.

クリスチャンルーブタンの描く”銀座ゴミ” 限定コレクションを発表！そして彼とのインタビューを振り返って聞いてみるとなんと・・！

Christian Louboutin has just released a mini limited edition collection of women’s “Vendome” slingbacks, men’s shoes and a pouch bag inspired by “trash” from Ginza. Pressed between clear PVC are vintage stamps and the subway map, along with sequins, colorful feathers and party string. Hrrrmmmmm…maybe Louboutin has been hanging out in the hostess clubs? 

The collection is only for sale at the Ginza store. I recalled when the Ginza store opened in late 2010 I was able to get a one-on-one interview with Christian. Curious, I pulled out my old 3G iPhone and listened to the whole thing again. He is bitingly funny and extremely gracious. “You are definitely Egyptian! I MUST introduce you to my Egyptian friend!” (I`m English-German or something). We were scheduled to talk for 15 minutes and it ended up being 45! Topics ran the gamut from shoe styles of the 70s, fabrics, and how different ethnicities have different feet shapes. “Europeans, Americans and Asians were traditionally totally different. Body shapes are changing now but, generally Asians have wider feet and Americans have extremely long and narrow feet. Ha, you would think it’d be the opposite!” Lol.

つい先日クリスチャン・ルブタンより発表された”TRASH”限定コレクション。ラインナップにはレディースのパンプスにメンズのシューズ、そしてバッグを揃え、デザインは東京、銀座の街をイメージして製作されたよう。ということで早速画像をチェックしてみると、そこにはクリアPVC、東京の地下鉄路線図やスタンプ、そこにスパンコールやカラフルなフェザーが彩るなんともカラフルなアクセサリーが。どうやらルブタン氏にとって銀座のイメージとは、華やかなホステスクラブやキャバレーが真っ先にきたようだw。

こちらのコレクションが販売されるのは銀座の直営店のみだそう。そういえばこの銀座のフラッグシップストアがオープンした時に、デザイナーのルブタン氏にインタビューをしたっけ、と思い当時使っていたiPhoneを引っぱりだしてみると、ありました。その時の音源。改めてその時のインタビューを聞いて、彼のユーモア溢れる愉快な語り口に夜な夜な思い出し笑いをしていました。この時私に設けられたインタビュー時間は１５分、しかし結果的に４５分以上も話し込んでしまったのです。どんなことを話していたかというと、私がエジプトにいそうだからエジプト人の友達を紹介するよ、なんてたわいもないジョークから、彼が靴に込める思いや製作行程など、１５分なんかでは到底収まらないようなボリュームの内容。アメリカ人、ヨーロッパの人、アジア人それぞれ足のかたちが異なることなんかについても聞かせてもらった。（アジア人は割と広く、アメリカ人は細長いのが主流。”普通に考えてみれば逆なんじゃない？”と笑った。)

At the time of the interview there was a brouhaha that Kim Kardashian broke her toe after tripping in a pair of Loub booties. Christian himself had tripped that same day and was wearing bandages all up his ankle. I suggested he send Kim a pair of flats as an olive branch. “I already got my retribution with this!” he laughed.

The most interesting thing to come out of it was talking about feminism, and how being a feminist once meant trying to hide one’s girliness as much as possible. “Now it’s about having the choice to dress down or to play up one’s beauty and feminism as she sees fit.” He told a story, “A woman once came up to me to thank me because she wore a pair of my high heels to an interview and got the job. She said having the extra height made her eye-level to her boss, but now she’s stuck wearing heels all the time because being shorter would definitely change the power dynamic in the relationship.” Hmm! Food for thought! Of course, Christian has ALWAYS pronounced, “My shoes are not comfortable, if they were, they would not be beautiful.” Oh, Christian.

クリスチャン ルブタン銀座店
〒104-0061 東京都中央区銀座7-6-2 MAP
TEL：03-6280-6501
営業時間：11:00〜20:00