Neiman Marcus and Christian Louboutin have come together for an exclusive collection of animal print shoes and bags for men and women.
Dropping today, the duo’s new “Animalia” collection spans 19 pieces including seven women’s looks, six handbags, four men’s shoes, one men’s leather good and one men’s hat. Standout pieces include the Vibella 85 pump and Sweetie Jane flat for women, the Penny loafer and Louis Juniors Spikes sneakers for men as well as the Cabata tote and Le 54 tote.
According to the Dallas-based luxury retailer, the collection will be available at 35 Neiman Marcus stores and on the retailer’s website. The retailer’s Beverly Hills store – which recently revamped its shoe floor – will host its main installation of the collection, while its stores at NorthPark, Houston and Short Hills will host key spotlight moments of the line. An additional 10 stores will have their own visual moments with custom made Louboutin red shoe risers to highlight the collection within the ladies’ shoes department, the company added.
Jodi Kahn, vice president of luxury fashion at Neiman Marcus, told FN in an interview that this new collection is part of a long-standing partnership the retailer has with Christian Louboutin. “Our client relies on Neiman Marcus to provide them with must-have fashion pieces and access to exclusive products,” Kahn said. “The Animalia collection is not only on trend for the season but felt like a natural fit for our client.”
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As for why the two companies decided on a leopard print collection, Kahn added that the motif is a new “neutral” for the Neiman Marcus customer.
“Leopard has become a neutral for our clients – who has never seen a leopard print they didn’t love,” the executive admitted. “I am so pleased we brought this print to life in Louboutin’s best-selling silhouettes. We wanted to collaborate on something that would resonate with different clients and various lifestyle aesthetics. We have something for everyone from a ballet flat to platform sandals as well as handbags or a tote bag. Due to our close client relationships, we know the Animalia exclusives will resonate with our loyal Louboutin collectors.”
This new collection is the latest tie-up between Neiman Marcus and Christian Louboutin. Most recently, the two came together in April 2023 for a large-scale store installation that featured a pool-side customer shopping experience at the retailer’s store in Dallas’ NorthPark center. The event, which highlighted the “A La Piscine” collection, kicked off with a personal appearance by Mr. Louboutin where he signed over 100 items for top customers.
In October 2022, the two came together on the “Loubi Mystery” collection of 17 items spanning across women’s shoes, handbags and men’s shoes. To celebrate this line, the retailer’s NorthPark location hosted a scavenger hunt throughout the store that led the clients to keys. At the end the clients would test their key on the mystery box and the key that fit won a pair of shoes.
These activations were all part of Neiman Marcus’ “Retail-tainment” strategy, which it launched in 2021 as a unique way to connect top brands to the American luxury customer. Before this program was debuted, Louboutin created a unique experience for Neiman Marcus’ 2019 Fantasy Gifts for the holiday season. For this occasion, the luxury footwear brand offered customers a chance to create a custom pair of shoes. The experience included a trip to Paris for two with a three-night stay at the Mandarin Oriental, a five-star hotel on Rue Saint Honore.
“Over the years, we have been able to deliver truly special moments with Christian Louboutin,” Kahn added. “We share a cohesive vision to surprise and delight our clients and continuously amaze them with new product offerings.”
