For women raised in the '70s, high heels can still carry a stigma; they're associated with being stupid, with just wanting to please a man. Other women find them empowering.
Interpretation
The perception of high heels differs among women, with some viewing them as symbols of empowerment and others as symbols of subservience.
Christian Louboutin highlights the complex relationship women have with high heels, particularly those raised in the 1970s. For some, high heels represent a tool for empowerment and self-expression, while for others, they carry a negative stigma, suggesting a desire to conform to societal expectations that prioritize pleasing men over personal autonomy. This dichotomy reflects broader themes of feminism and women's rights, illustrating how fashion can be both liberating and constraining, depending on the individual's perspective.
In practice
In a discussion about women's fashion choices, this quote can highlight differing views on high heels.
I wanted to be a shoe designer, but I never thought it could be a profession. But what was the alternative? Doctor? Too dirty! Air-hostess? Maybe not! Then someone gave me a book on Roger Vivier, and, cheri, instantly I knew that was it!
I never had a plan. I have to say, I'm very shocked when people start a company and say, 'In five years I want to launch a perfume, or in 10 years I want to have this.' How can you know?
These heels are candy for the feet; theyβre for pleasure, not practicality.
The thing I always try to remember is that feet are attached to the leg, and that you must prolong the silhouette. The shoe elongates the leg and does it discreetly. The goal is to get people to look at a woman's legs. It's all about the leg. No, it's not about the leg. It's about the woman.
Fashion isn't interesting when it comes from an uninspired place. It's like voodoo; we don't want things that are soaked in blood, sweat, and tears. I adore life, and I'm very easygoing - and it shows in my work.
A woman can carry a bag, but it is the shoe that carries the woman.
The great thing about American women is their energy and the way they love to dress. French women don't really dress; they are too conservative, as it's always a question of money. In America, women are powerful and strong, determined. If they want to be an object, they choose to be in control.
Silk does for the body what diamonds do for the hand.
The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress.
It pains me physically to see a woman victimized, rendered pathetic, by fashion.
My relationship with fashion has always been that each of us stars in our own movies and costumes ourselves to play the part we want. You take blouses and jeans and dresses, and you put them together, and they tell your story.
I'm never massively concerned about what somebody is wearing, as long as it makes them feel really good about themselves.
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