Let Them Eat Cake and Wear Louboutins. Part Deux

           My perfect Tuesday morning: Wake up, make-up, dress, cafe, latte, salon, blow dry, champagne, Louboutin Boutique, champagne, shopping, more champagne.

Monsieur Christian Louboutin signing shoes outside of his boutique in South Coast Plaza

  I squealed out loud when I reached the top of the stairs and spotted Monsieur Louboutin seated oh so quaintly outside of the Christian Louboutin boutique at South Coast Plaza this morning. The hat, the coat, the bright little bouquet, the untouched ice tea. He radiated a sunny French afternoon. I walked into the crowded boutique and helped myself to a flute of Moet from a little silver tray. I sipped and browsed the walls of red soled Loubitins,  until I caught sight of what I had come for (other than the free champagne!). The Marie Antoinette capsule collection. It was perfectly elevated out of a velvet lined pink and yellow egg and surrounded by admirers. It seemed we all had our own tidbit of information about the shoe. A pixie haired girl beside me said that she had already shelled out six grand for a pair but, they wouldn’t be arriving for another two months.  M. Louboutin would not be signing her pair. Which was unfortunate because I began to realize that these were shoes that one never actually wears. Pixie girl said she would display them in her house until she auctions them off years down the road. Shoes as art? What a beautiful idea!

       Another woman, wearing a diamond ring the size of my head, began telling me about the meaning of the ship on the ankle strap. “It’s a French Revolutionary vessel that was used to import Marie Antoinette’s extravagant silks”. Hmm….giant diamond lady was taking advantage of the tray passed champagne. We’ll have to check up on that one. We all agreed that the shoe is quite stunning up close. The exquisite pearl embroidery and floral detail embody the delicate composition and artistry that went into creating it. One really can appreciate it’s lavish elegance despite the  impracticality of never wearing it.  Bravo, M. Louboutin and M. Lesage, Bravo!

Dainty details set the collection apart

The underside of the embellished strap reveals a sculptured Marie Antoinette

      I sat myself on the chaise lounge with my champagne flute (”Why, yes, darling, I’d love a refill!”) and watched as the ladies around me twisted and turned into the heels they were trying on, examining them in the mirror from every possible angle. I sat in my champagne cloud enjoying the buzz around me until I saw the huge camera lens on the other side of the display POINTED. RIGHT. AT. ME. Oh, my god, I’m being photographed with the Marie Antoinette shoe!! My heart quickened and I sat up straighter, smiled at nobody, tossed my head to the side and sipped my champagne. It was the photographer for the L.A. Times. Oh, please please please, God, let them choose my picture to be in the story! 

Jane at the Christian Louboutin Marie Antoinette launch and shoe signing

 I got up to leave and made my way out to the shoe signing line. Suddenly, it hit me. Wait a minute! I don’t have a pair of shoes for M. Louboutin to sign! I began to panic. Would they still let me meet him? All I really wanted was a picture with him and to say the french phrase that I had been rehearsing all morning. The answer was no. One of the security guards finally realized that I wasn’t holding a pair of shoes to be signed and told me I had to either buy a pair (I wish) to be signed or leave the area. WHAT? I begged and I batted to no avail and left without, actually meeting M. Louboutin. Oh well. At least  I had a nice little champagne buzz to take with me! Life is Delicious. Indulge Daily. Love Jane