Christian Louboutin creates out-of-this-galaxy ‘Star Wars’-inspired footwear for charity auction
Maker of fantastical footwear Christian Louboutin has forged a stylish collaboration with Disney’s Lucasfilm that will put five pairs of “The Last Jedi”-inspired shoes up for charity auction.
Four of those custom pairs, inspired by the film’s heroines, went up for bid Thursday at online auction site Charity Buzz, and a fifth not-yet-revealed pair will join them after being unveiled Saturday at the film’s Los Angeles premiere.
According to Thursday’s announcement, the mystery shoes will be presented on the red carpet in a custom-made red crystal display case that features holographic effects and guarded by a pair of Praetorian Guards clad in glossy red armor.
The red theme is an appropriate one, since the flash of red sole instantly identifies a pair of heels as Louboutin’s handiwork. The French shoe designer referenced the color’s importance in the collaboration’s announcement.
“At first sight, the Star Wars universe and mine seemed far away from one another,” Louboutin is quoted as saying, “but when I saw the pictures of the red planet Crait, I instantly understood where it connected and why they had thought of me.”
The only thing we know for sure about the mystery pair is that one of the inspirational starting points was Louboutin’s “Ballerina Ultima,” an archival design from a decade ago with an absurdly high six-inch stiletto heel.(Based on how painful they’d be to walk in, we suspect that fifth pair of shoes pays homage to the Dark Side.)
The four one-off pairs already revealed (and currently under the gavel) include:
- An ankle-strap leather sandal inspired by the costume worn by Daisy Ridley’s Rey with translucent PVC pieces that are a nod to the Force and a glittery blue heel meant to evoke the color of her lightsaber.
- Pumps in pleated burgundy fabric inspired by the draped cape worn by Vice Adm. Amilyn Holdo (played by Laura Dern).
- A shoe with silver specchio leather yokes and a distinctly curved heel that references the armor worn by Gwendoline Christie’s Capt. Phasma.
- A utilitarian sandal with a stiletto-inside-a-chunky-heel detail that was inspired by Kelly Marie Tran’s tech- and engineering-savvy Rose Tico character.
Each style is accented with a bejeweled hexagonal flourish that references the shape of a TIE fighter’s side panels, and each pair has been signed by Christian Louboutin and the actress whose character inspired it.
As of this writing, the Rey-themed sandals are fetching the highest bid (currently $3,750) and the Amilyn Holdo shoes are holding the lowest bid (at $2,500). That may sound pricey, but the winning bidder actually gets two pairs of shoes — the pair already autographed by the designer as well as a second pair in the size of their choice — as well as the opportunity to attend a special Jan. 16 screening of the film at Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco (though airfare and hotel accommodations are not included).
The beneficiary of the online auction is Starlight Children’s Foundation, which will receive 80% of net proceeds on behalf of Lucasfilm and Disney’s charitable initiative Star Wars: Force for Change.
Christian Louboutin X “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” charity online auction, through Dec. 20, 2017, at charitybuzz.com/StarWars.
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