Video Lust: Lady Gaga's 'Marry the Night'

I am mildly obsessed with Lady Gaga's "Marry the Night" video. I know, it was her last video but it's not very recent news. I'm making a conscious effort to blog about inspiration, new or old, it's far too much work trying to keep up with breaking news.

Christian Louboutin 20th Anniversary Book

Look into his sole. To commemorate his 20th anniversary in the shoe business, Christian Louboutin and Rizzoli will publish this 304-page self-titled book. Check out this overview from Barnes & Noble:

"An extraordinary monograph created by Christian Louboutin, renowned for his beautifully crafted handmade shoes, in particular his elegantly sexy stilettos. This stunning volume, with a fanciful and intricate pop-up, an elaborate foldout cover, and dramatic still-life photography, evokes the artistry and theatricality of Louboutin's shoe designs.
Celebrated for his vertiginously high stilettos with their signature lacquer-red soles, Louboutin has achieved cult status with celebrities as well as fashionistas. His eclectic and exotic designs, often incorporating feathers, beads, and sequins, are a constant and dramatic presence on the red carpet and in nightclubs and restaurants the world over.
Louboutin's first book, this monograph highlights the extraordinary range of his couture, from his iconic and glamorous creations to his fetishistic pieces, including his collaborations with David Lynch, meant more for the bedroom than the street. New photography captures Louboutin's artistic sensibilities, while an in-depth interview reveals Louboutin's life, travels, and inspirations, presenting a very personal look at the man behind the shoes.
A work of art in itself, with a five-piece foldout binding and a pop-up, Christian Louboutin is an enticing and revelatory look at the most important luxury shoe designer of our day.
The book is divided into six chapters. The first chapter covers Louboutin's biography, his start as a designer from his work for Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent to his first boutique in 1992, and his early creations and influences illustrated with many never-seen-before photos from his personal archives; chapter two features the Louboutin boutiques around the world showcasing the varied and extravagant interior designs and displays; chapter three is "20 years of design" and highlights his shoe designs from over the years with all-new still-life photography, as well as editorial art; chapter four features the spectacular interiors of Louboutin's homes in Paris and Luxor, Egypt, and behind-the-scenes shots from his studios and workshops; chapter five focuses on his creative collaborations with David Lynch, of a series called "Fetish," of limited-edition shoes by Louboutin and limited-edition photos by Lynch; chapter six is a complete catalogue raisonne of his work, with photos of all 120 shoe designs."

So, throw on your red soles and march down to your local Barnes & Noble on October 25. Or, you can just wear your stiletto's to the mailbox and pre-order your copy here.

Christian Louboutin + Bella Freud

For those who lust for Christian Louboutin, you no longer have to limit your options to bags and shoes. The designer has teamed up with Bella Freud for three exclusive sweaters available at Net-A-Porter.

"Christian Louboutin lends his artistic prowess to Bella Freud's signature coquettish designs with this black merino wool-blend sweater, part of their collaborative 'Fetish' collection. With a chic shoe intarsia designed by Louboutin himself, it's a playful piece that works well when dressed up with leather and chunky accessories."

Pictured is the Spike Shoe Merino Wool-Blend Sweater. $400.

Christian Louboutin Daffodile Brodee

This one's for the ladies! They've seen the pages of Vogue's September Issue, but the Christian Louboutin Daffodile Brodee isn't available just yet. Similar to a past favorite [Ecotrash anyone?] this Louboutin collage of a 160 mm platform is satin embellished with everything from sequins to crystals to chains to bows. Be on the lookout for this piece of lust, uh I mean art. $2,995.

Inside the Kardashian's Closets

September's InStyle magazine takes us inside the closets of all three Kardashian sisters to promote their new line for Sears. Khloe, Kim, and Kourtney all share a pretty amazing collection of threads, shoes, bags, and jewelry.

Kim has an impressive collection of nine Birkin bags, a vintage mink coat that belonged to her grandmother, and 318 pairs of shoes [63 of them Christian Louboutin's]. But Khloe takes the medal for "Louboutin Lover" with 71 pairs! Talk about a luxury high heel fetish!

Christian Louboutin

So, I have just featured Christian Louboutin's "Spacer" and previously featured the Birthday edition black Python "Louis" [and lust everyday with the "Alfred"'s in my closet] but, what do you know about the man behind the soles? Ecouter et apprendre! ...or listen and learn for those of us who don't speak French.

French he is, Christian Louboutin was born in France in 1964 and spent his childhood marveling at the elegance of Parisian women from all walks of life. He loves the idea behind Parisian women and their, suprisingly, unfaithfullness to a specific designer or brand. He has been quoted as saying that Parisian women are "completely unfaithful - to everyone but themselves".

Louboutin revived the high heel in the early nineties and has since gained worldwide popularity with stores on nearly every continent, the first one opening in 1990 in Paris. You would imagine he would have went into frantic work mode creating all these lustworthy shoes for the opening but instead, his first task was the box. Yes, he first created the box before the shoes. He compares the importance of the shoe box to that of the jewelry box. After all, how iconic is the little blue boxes from Tiffany's? You just know there is going to be something good inside.

After the box, came the shoes. However, the shoes didn't always have the signature red sole. Here, Louboutin describes how the red soles came about [taken from the Hub Magazine]:

"I felt that the shoes lacked energy. The colour was meant to add definition to the heel and to the shape of the shoe. When you have black shoes, for instance, adding a touch of colour can finish the design or even re-shape it completely. At first I considered using several colours, but that would mean not having a trademark. During the early 90s many women in France didn't like colours at all, but then I noticed that they still wore red. On their nails, on their lips: a woman may say she doesn't wear colour but she will still wear red - the colour of love, passion, and blood. It made sense. So I applied red nail polish to the sole of a shoe and within no time it was such a success that it became a permanent fixture."

Louboutin believes in freedom of fashion. He does not believe there are rules to wearing his shoes and says that "if a woman wants to wear 5-inch crystal heels to go to the market or even the beach, then why not? As long as she feels great, she shows that she has made an effort to do it her way. That, to me, is perfect just the way it is."

If you're Jennifer Lopez or any of the Kardashian sisters, this is probably what you do in your Louboutin's. And you also wear them on red carpets, along with almost every other fashionable woman in Hollywood. We have yet to see any press for the men's shoes but, look forward to it!

I was visiting the New York store on Madison Ave. with a fellow luster while a group of news people outside waited to interview people leaving the store. The doorman warned us and was right, as soon as we stepped out we were being asked "Why?". "Why the red soles? Why do you buy them? Who do you buy them for?". The news anchor went on and on trying to convince my friend to say that she wears the red soles to ignite the passions in men and attract them to her bedroom [as if Louboutin's were "Spanish Fly"]. When she asked me if that was my reaction, I simply said "I'm gay, so it doesn't matter what color your soles are, it's not gonna work". Joking aside, there is a very emotional reaction to Christian Louboutin's shoes. Perhaps ambition, to be able to throw around thousand dollar shoes represents a certain status most of us want to achieve, or perhaps pure love for an exquisite design.

It isn't just the consumer that have such a strong emotion for these shoes, it is apparent that emotion rules the designs in the world of Christian Louboutin. Which is probably why we are head over heels for them.

Christian Louboutin Spacer Flat

If the Lust List had a soul, it would be red. Much like our friend Christian Louboutin's soles. In pure lust with the "Spacer Flat". I've made it a personal journey to seek out a men's gladiator sandal [like our previously featured Burberry Gladiator's], and it appears I have found the sneaker version.

Beige suede for the Spring Summer 2011 Collection. "Tie them on and buckle in. 3, 2, 1...take off! Their arrival has been much anticipated since they walked the runway. Wait no more, Spacer has just touched down." $1,195.

Christian Louboutin Louis Men's Flat in Black Python

Happy Birthday Christian Louboutin! You can celebrate the online boutique's first birthday on July 7th, but if you want to slip into these bad boys, you're going to have to wait almost a month.

The Louis Men's Flat has been made over to celebrate the birthday in black python. Yes, black python. From the Classique collection, the Louis in python is made for "the man who knows what it means to be a little exotic". However, they are already on a wait list and expected to be available July 29th. $1,495.

Lust Icon : David & Victoria Beckham

Seeing David and Victoria Beckham arrive at the Royal Wedding reminded me of how amazing this match is. Check out Mrs. Beckham rocking platform Louboutins while pregnant. That in itself could be iconic.

Ladies first, Victoria Caroline Beckham has established herself as a fashion icon while playing wife and mother. She came into the spotlight via the all girl group the Spice Girls as "Posh Spice", but did you know she had a solo career as a musician as well? She scored four UK Top 10 singles after the Spice Girls parted ways. Her first kick in the fashion world was through premium denim line Rock & Republic when she put her name behind the infamous crown pocket. I saw her on the runway when she launched the pocket, and she looks just as amazing in person. She later established her own line of denim, dVb by Victoria Beckham. However, the icon that she is, she decided to establish her own entire fashion line in 2008.

David Robert Joseph Beckham [we all know I'm a sucker for a cute name] is an English footballer who currently plays midfield for the Los Angeles Galaxy. He began his football career at the age of 17, when he signed a professional contract with Manchester United. Off the field, he's kicked around in fashion as well. Pronounced "the ultimate metrosexual" by the man who coined the term, his near perfect looks have scored him endorsement deals with Armani and Adidas as well as countless magazine spreads.

The couple met at a charity football game in 1997, after which David requested to meet her. "I really didn't know who he was. I was never into football", said Victoria. But, it didn't take long for sparks to fly. The couple announced their engagement in 1998 and were married a year later at Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland. The style legacy lives on as the Beckham's have three sons and recently announced they are expecting a fourth child, a girl.

I feel I have a personal connection with David since I saw him driving on the 405 on my first day of work in LA. I knew at that moment, LA was my home. There were so many amazing images to choose from of this incredibly stylish couple. They always seem to be on point whether together or apart. Make sure and check out their infamous spread in W Magazine. You won't be disappointed.