Paris, France
Pierre Yovanovitch and Christian Louboutin celebrate women of history and popular culture and pay homage to their achievements by adding the iconic crimson-soled heels to each leg of the reinvented Clam Chair, presenting nine limited-edition chairs featuring “shoes” designed by Louboutin.
Each chair is inspired by an allegorical or historical female muse, from Queen Nefertari and Josephine Baker to Louboutin’s friend Dita Von Teese,a modern-day icon of burlesque and glamour.
“We have very different tastes in many ways,” says Christian Louboutin.
“But what we have in common is really an obsession with detail and craftsmanship.”
For the Dita, they created silver platform heels with a tassel heel evoking Von Teese’s burlesque costumes.
The Josefina is an homage to Baker’s signature jungle costumes with mixed raffa, fringe and beads.
Zenobi is inspired by the Palmyrene empress and features legs embellished with turquoise stones; they climb up the back legs and encircle the front legs like ankle bracelets.
Nefertari, the favorite of both Yovanovitch and Louboutin, has a laser-engraved lotus pattern seat back in blue, terracotta and bronze with bronze heels that evoke the sarcophagus crown.
Radicalla, named for an expression Yovanovitch often uses to describe a rigid architectural approach, and Morphea, an homage to the Greek god of sleep, feature upholstery hand-painted by French artist Christophe Martin.
Yovanovitch’s distinctive style, characterized by mastery of proportion, light, color, dedication to craftsmanship, and attention to fine details, showcases his talent for creating immersive and visually captivating spaces.
“For me the project was always smooth, it almost felt like a vacation,” states Yovanovitch.
“The chair is very serious, solid wood, very clean lines and the little shoe that Christian does on every foot of the chair, they are very joyful, funny. It’s the same with us — I’m quite serious and he’s always fun. I’m shy; he is very extroverted. And I think the opposite character makes something very interesting.”
The chairs will be on view at Yovanovitch’s New York atelier in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood.
Project: Christian Louboutin x Pierre Yovanovitch Clam Chair
Designers: Christian Louboutin and Pierre Yovanovitch
Photographers: Eric Petschek
