By Jessica Ye (Jessica Yap)
The shoes can wait.
Before guests reached a single pair of Christian Louboutin loafers or sneakers, they found themselves standing beneath two giant stone feet. Rising like the remains of a long-forgotten monument, the sculptures marked the entrance to an imagined civilisation where the Maison’s signature red stretched far beyond the sole of a shoe.
It was an unusual way to begin a fashion presentation, but then again, Jaden Smith wasn’t interested in creating another showroom.
For Men’s Spring/Summer 2027, Christian Louboutin invited guests into a fictional “red kingdom”, a world inspired by ancient ruins, archaeology and the mysteries left behind by vanished civilisations. Instead of walking straight towards the collection, visitors followed a path through monumental architecture, weathered stone and an engraved slab etched with an undeciphered script, leaving modern Paris behind for somewhere that existed only in imagination.
The experience unfolded slowly.
Beyond the entrance, shoes and leather goods appeared inside towering circular monoliths and carved stone niches, displayed more like treasured artefacts than luxury accessories. At the heart of the space sat a meteorite-inspired structure presenting the core of the collection, while sculptural standing stones, inspired by the prehistoric formations of Carnac in Brittany, encouraged guests to wander through the presentation rather than simply look at it.
Throughout the installation, Christian Louboutin’s unmistakable red became part of the landscape itself. Walls, sculptures and architectural details were all washed in the colour, turning one of fashion’s most recognisable signatures into the foundation of an entire imagined kingdom.
For Smith, the setting was never just about creating spectacle. It was about wondering what remains after time has erased the people who built great civilisations.
“This collection is a step into the world of Christian Louboutin Men’s,” he said.
“It is a story about history, passion, and the inevitable fate of every great civilization that came before us, including this ancient red kingdom of our dreams.”
He continued, “I was inspired by the traces that remain after time transforms achievement into myth, and reality into legend. When I awake, I wonder: is any of this truly new, or has it all happened before? Are we moving forward, or simply walking in circles, slowly sinking back into the red sands of time?”
It is the latest chapter in Smith’s growing role at the Maison after becoming Christian Louboutin’s first Men’s Creative Director in 2025. Rather than simply introducing new footwear each season, he is steadily building a creative universe around the men’s line, one where storytelling carries as much weight as the products themselves.
Whether visitors came away thinking about ancient monuments or the craftsmanship behind the shoes, the presentation lingered because it asked them to do something increasingly rare during fashion week.
To slow down.
For a few moments, the collection wasn’t simply something to look at. It was something to wander through, piece together and discover for yourself. And in a season filled with presentations competing for attention, Christian Louboutin found it by asking guests to take the scenic route.
