Christian Louboutin has been far more successful with shoes than he has been with bags, and I’m having a hard time figuring out exactly why that is. Surely the design processes for each is decidedly differently, but for a brand with as many resources and as much style as Louboutin’s, I would expect better results.
Most of CL’s shoes have an inherent feminine sass to them that just doesn’t come through in designs like the Christian Louboutin Trophe Stud Bag. Louboutin has designed many a gorgeous shoe featuring zippers and studs, but his bag design with the same motif just doesn’t work exactly like it should.
The market is flooded with similarly studded bags at every price point, and in order for this one to make any kind of impression, it needed to find a clear way to stand out. Unfortunately it didn’t – the zippers zigzag across the bag’s body with little purpose, and the studded tabs that hang from the zipper pulls look sloppy. The leather is likely beyond amazing, as it is with most of Louboutin’s bags, but I wish that it had gone to a better purpose.
To answer my own question, Louboutin should definitely continue to make bags. Some beautiful designs have come out of the brand in recent seasons, and its clutches in particular are always a lot of fun. Louboutin’s handbag missteps have gotten fewer as of late, but unfortunately this is not one of his finer efforts. Buy through Saks for $1495.
