After succeeding in the creation of shoes with vertiginous heels, purses and perfumes, French fashion designer Christian Louboutin recently unveiled its first line of nail polishes in collaboration with Batallure Beauty.
With this brand extension, the designer behind the famous red-soled shoes has decided to come back to his nail polish roots, where his fashion signature began.
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Fashion signature: The Christian Louboutin red sole
Every person interested in fashion will quickly recognize a pair of Louboutin shoes across the room thanks to their red-lacquered soles that became the designer’s fashion signature. The red-soled shoes signature was chosen after Christian Louboutin used his assistant’s red nail polish to add the finishing touch to a pair of stilettos over 20 years ago.
“I had a girl working with me, trying on the shoes so when she was not trying on shoes, she sort of had nothing to do, so she was sort of waiting, and, so she was doing her nails, at that time… and I thought, why, this black has to be the red! So I grabbed her nail polish, and painted the soles” Christian Louboutin, cited in How Fashion Works.
Brand extension: entering the cosmetic industry
By offering its first line of nail lacquer collection, Louboutin enters the cosmetic industry, joining other fashion houses with nail polishes in the market including YSL, Givenchy, Dior and Armani. However, while most of these brands sell their lacquers for between $20 and 34$, Louboutin has decided to sell his small 0.4 oz (12ml) nail polish bottles for $50 per unit, making them the most expensive on the market.
The nail polish collection will come in 30 different shades, including the signature red lacquer, Rouge Louboutin, which will allow customers to match their nail color to their shoes.
Brand promise: feeling confident, powerful and sexy
Ask a woman about the most attractive brand of shoes, and chances are they will answer Louboutin. Why? Because Louboutin doesn’t just design shoes, it sells an entire feminine experience: feeling confident, in control and sexy.
Louboutin said it himself: “A good shoe is one that doesn’t dress you, but undresses you!”. The shoe designer admitted that he does not focus on offering comfort but on offering something sexy. A clear brand promise!
It’s also apparent that the same promise was used to create the nail polish packaging. Directly inspired from the heel of its iconic shoe, the bottle is sexy and edgy, and does not seem too practical.
The new product is in line with the brand universe, not only in terms of price and design, but also in terms of brand values. The sexy, luxurious and feminine universe was properly transferred to this new product range!
References: Red Hot Marketing Blender, How fashion Works, Capital FM, Il était une pub
Pictures from: How fashion Works, Capital FM, Il était une pub, Love Maegan, Lollipuff
