If the Name of the Shoe Fits

From “Sole Mate,” Lauren Collins’s profile of French shoe designer Christian Louboutin, in the March 28 issue of the New Yorker:

Self-serious monochrome people are not Louboutin’s target audience. (Shawna Rose, his head of communications in New York, refers to them as “the black-and-camels.”) He gives his designs onomatopoetic names, like Toutenkaboucle, or raunchy ones, like Zigounette (“tiny dick”). Once, he made the straps of a sandal out of tape measures. Another time, he put pockets all over a boot, like a safari jacket, and called it CNN Girl.

Online access to the full text of the article is restricted to subscribers, but the paper-and-ink version is available on newsstands now.

UPDATE: Commenter Amy asked how “Toutenkaboucle” could be onomatopoetic. Here’s what the shoe looks like:

The heel is 6" high; the platform is 1.5".

Unless those buckles go jingle-jangle, I’m skeptical about the name being onamatopoetic. It’s more likely a portmanteau of Tutankhamun (as in King Tut, although the reference is admittedly tenuous) and “buckle.” The name is definitely fun to say, but it didn’t help move product: the shoe is marked down to $156.99—a pittance, Louboutin-wise—here.

Comments

[Amy Reynaldo]

How exactly is Toutenkaboucle onomatopoeic? What entity makes a "toutenkaboucle" sound?

[Jan Freeman]

I could imagine a language in which "touten" would be an ouchy sound (made when you stand up in these shoes) and "kaboucle" would be the swear word you let fly as you toppled over in them.

[mikemayos]

Self-serious monochrome people - lol

I love this phrase - and could happily list a number of high profile 'fahsionistas' who fit the tag!