Reaffirming its pioneering creative approach to redefining the notion of inclusivity in fashion, Christian Louboutin brings the Nudes collection back to the stage with Cassia Lace Up extending the concept through the lexicon of ballet, in an inclusive celebration of different skin tone

Christian Louboutin’s Nudes collection began with a simple idea: a flesh-toned shoe that creates a continuous line from leg to toe, subtly elongating the silhouette. One day, Christian Louboutin made a key observation: one shade alone could never define what ‘nude’ truly means.

“The weight of words is important – nude is not a beige color, but a concept and it should be plural to reflect the full spectrum of skin tones”

Christian Louboutin

This realization led to the launch of the first Nudes collection in 2013, initially available in five shades, later expanded to seven, then eight. Nudes became more than a collection: they embodied a core expression of the Maison’s values – a belief in beauty without limits – and in every body’s right to be seen and celebrated.

With this statement, the Nudes shoe does not dress the leg – it continues to undress it. Like an illusion, it melts into the skin, erasing the boundary between body and object to let the silhouette speak for itself. An aesthetic that Christian Louboutin continues to reimagine, offering shades that honor every skin tone and elongate the leg through timeless, iconic silhouettes.

A similar illusion comes to life in this season Nudes Collection with the Cassia Lace Up. The design is defined by a surprising alliance: a structured square toe, reminiscent of a ballet pointe slipper, meets the sensually curved lines of a stiletto heel. Echoing the aesthetic codes of ballet through the inclusive lens of the Nudes concept, this 100 mm strappy, single-sole pump is a tribute to both ballet and femininity.

Ballet has long served as a source of inspiration for Christian Louboutin – from the Ballet Plate, created for Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring 1998 Couture show, to the iconic Ballerina Ultima designed in collaboration with David Lynch in 2007.

Crafted from soft crepe satin – a fabric chosen for its resemblance to traditional ballet shoes – and tied with tonal satin ribbons around the ankle, Cassia Lace Up evokes the intimate ritual of a ballerina lacing her slippers before stepping on stage. Elevated by the Maison’s signature sculptural stiletto heel, the silhouette enhances a woman’s gait and natural hip movement as though she were dancing en pointe with every step.

But Cassia Lace Up is more than a nod to ballet – it is a statement of correction. For generations, the world of dance upheld a single chromatic ideal: pale pink slippers designed to disappear against one skin tone, leaving many dancers unseen.

By merging the inclusive vision of the Nudes with ballet’s timeless vocabulary – and infusing it with the bold spirit of haute couture –Cassia Lace Up with its iconic red sole, becomes a true object of desire.

The capsule, available in an exclusive limited edition, will launch in stores on July 9th. It features five nude shades in crepe satin that echo the softness and lightness of skin. Each satin tone melts effortlessly into the skin it was designed for, allowing the shoe to vanish and the woman to take center stage – celebrated in all her strength and delicacy, radiant and beautifully in motion.

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