20ANS at the Design Museum

For the 20th anniversary of Christian Louboutin’s iconic label, London’s Design Museum hosted a landmark exhibition conceived in close collaboration with the designer alongside Studio Eivind’s Keith Fowler, who was then Creative Director of Household Design. The concept took inspiration from a series of limited-edition prints by Sir Peter Blake, Paris Circus II (2010), and marked two decades of the brand with a vibrant mix of spectacle and storytelling.

At the heart of the exhibition was a burlesque stage shaped like the famous Louboutin red sole – a reference to the designer’s early fascination with the Moulin Rouge and the transformative power of women’s footwear. A holographic performance by Dita Von Teese, Louboutin’s long-time friend and muse, was a dose of theatricality that captivated visitors.

Elsewhere, the brand’s archival collections were animated on miniature fairground rides, while a trompe-l’œil recreation of Louboutin’s Paris atelier offered a glimpse of his intimate creative world. Overall, the exhibition weaved together craft and performance in a fitting tribute to a singular design powerhouse.