New Style Idea

Prolific designer. Adoring father. As part of this week’s FN cover story, we talked to Christian Louboutin about how fatherhood has changed him.

The shoe legend is the father of fraternal twins, 5-year-old girls, who he has kept out of the spotlight.

“[Being a parent] has changed everything,” Louboutin said. “It also puts heritage into perspective — in terms of what the message is that you give your children through life. What is important versus what is less important?”

Louboutin — whose Paris museum exhibit will reopen in July — said he’s happy that his daughters are already “very interested” in people and objects. “They ask me a lot of questions,” he said.

Most importantly, his children wake up every day with a smile, the designer said proudly, during the interview in his headquarters in Paris, the week before the city went into lockdown.

“I see that they see when I’m happy — and if I’m trying to be the perfect father, it’s almost boring to them. It’s been normal for me to be happy, that’s my nature, but it’s also a mission to give that to my kids.”

Louboutin credits his parents with instilling the idea that you should enjoy daily life and not become obsessed with long-term plans. It’s a sentiment that resonates with many people right now.

“You never know what’s going to happen in your life,” the designer said. “Every day I work is a pleasure for me. I don’t want to think about being happy in 10 years because I’ve reached a certain goal. What if I don’t reach that goal? Does it mean everything I did means nothing? To master plan everything is putting yourself in a corner.”