It seems like luxury brand collaborations are still very much in vogue and the latest announcement comes from Christian Louboutin and Maison Margiela. While both brands have worked with other names before—Louboutin with Sabyasachi and Pierre Yovanovitch, and Margiela with H&M and Samsung. But, the Maison Margiela and Christian Louboutin collaboration brings together two of the biggest forces in fashion (and two closest friends).
One is known for its iconic red sole and the other for its sartorial designs, the coming together is a creative marriage in harmony. While John Galliano and Christian Louboutin had been friends for a while, they never joined hands for a collaboration until 2024. The result? A collection composed of three and four-shoe styles, and the highlight is the reimagination of the iconic Tabi shoe – a trio of sensuous crimson-soled Tabi styles.
A history of the split-toe Tabi
Split-toe Tabis have been a fashion staple for a long time, dating back to Martin Margiela’s debut runway show in spring 1989 at a small Paris theatre. Fast forward about 30 years, and these shoes reappeared in the Maison Margiela 2024 Artisanal collection shown in January 2024. Now, Christian Louboutin has taken things further with a second Maison Margiela collection set to launch on March 12, 2025. In this fresh take, Louboutin reimagines the classic Tabi with his trademark curvy, feminine style and iconic red sole. The collection features three new styles that give the traditional split-toe a modern, elegant twist, all crafted with Louboutin’s expert touch.
Maison Margiela by Christian Louboutin
For the Maison Margiela and Christian Louboutin collaboration, these bold, often-discussed shoes get a serious boost of glamour thanks to Christian Louboutin, the undisputed king of red soles. Teaming up with John Galliano, he has created three irresistible Tabi styles, each featuring his signature crimson sole. This curvy, reworked toe appears across three distinct designs. The Bridiela Una Strass pump made from a delicate crystal mesh is built on a new shape and elevated by Louboutin’s classic 100mm heel, perfectly capturing the collection’s feminine spirit. The Loubiella sandal, made from patent and textured leather and inspired by Louboutin’s Rosalie style, features a unique, twisting strap that elegantly emphasizes the natural arch of the foot. This style is set on a towering 100mm heel; And the Marlougiela ballerina, with its sleek, elongated form and sculptural lines, brings an extra touch of seductive allure available in either patent or crystal mesh.
It might sound surprising to mix such smart and sultry design, but these designers have been close since their early days in ’90s Paris. They even experimented with the Tabi’s split-toe by tweaking its shape to form a round, almost heart-like curve around the big toe—hinting subtly at a woman’s décolleté. Their idea was to merge two very different worlds: Margiela’s minimalist, modern style and Louboutin’s naturally seductive curves. The result is a reimagined Tabi that isn’t overtly feminine but carries a quiet, sensual appeal. Instead of cutting one piece to form the toe, the new design uses two parts that come together to create a soft, heart-shaped silhouette, echoing the Maison Margiela idea of “unconscious glamour.”
Christian Louboutin by Maison Margiela
The Christian Louboutin by Maison Margiela collection gives Louboutin’s famously sexy silhouettes a fresh twist through Margiela’s unconventional point of view. Born from high-fashion experiments in the Artisanal atelier, the collection uses Margiela’s signature “decortiqué” technique—which means stripping a design down to its bare bones, leaving only the essential seams and structures—to reveal the soul and authenticity of each piece.
This idea shows up in three designs, all marked by Louboutin’s iconic red sole. The Bilougiela 25 is a pointed ankle-strap sandal built on Louboutin’s Kate Max last and elevated on a 100mm heel; here, the decortiqué method peels away parts of the black patent leather to expose the shoe’s inner framework, a detail echoed in its deconstructed heel cap. Next, the Martinloula pump, also crafted on the Kate Max last, features a curvy, faux-cul heel cap first seen in the Maison Margiela 2024 Artisanal Collection, where draped leather strands reveal the supportive structure beneath. The Xrismarteen transforms the Martinloula into a knee-high boot by leaving the upper intact while allowing the leather to collapse into strips along the shaft, creating a look that recalls a deliberately torn piece of paper. Finally, the Martoubi 25 is a pointed, elongated pump in white leather, accented with a spontaneous red brushstroke on the heel cap—a nod to Margiela’s bianchetto technique, which highlights the traces of time much like a smear of red nail polish, echoing the legacy of the red sole.
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