Patents on the soles of your shoes...: Louboutin

Showing posts with label Louboutin. Show all posts

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Oh, patents! Louboutin Africaba

Just one more Louboutin design in a different stroke! A collaboration with La Maison Rose, a sanctuary for women and children in Dakar, Senegal, founded by Valérie Schlumberger, a famous go-between the arts and craftsmanship of Africa and France, actress, author, costume designer and humanitarian.

Welcome the Louboutin Africaba! A tote bursting with energy and warmth, on a multi-continent path of sustainable wages, dignity, and safety for scores of women and children in Dakar. A tote also displaying divine craftsmanship !

So, let me count the ways…!

The design of the Africaba, and blueprint instructions for manufacturing, sketched on Louboutin’s drawing-board.
The fabulous batik fabrics and embroidery crafted in Dakar, Senegal, at La Maison Rose (The Pink House), a sanctuary for women and children.
The beads handpainted in India.
And finally, Italy where the bags are put together and manufactured before you can purchase them in the Louboutin stores and retailers world-wide – that is, if you can snag one fast enough! Y

Reference

Schlumberger, V, Goudier, F & D. Cazelles (2008) Style Afrique. Paris France: Editions du Chêne:

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Oh, patents! Christian Louboutin spikes

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Louboutin spiked
Pigalle pump

Louboutin Harvanana
spiked loafers

Presenting spiked Louboutin Pigalle pumps in canary yellow for women to the right, and spiked Harvanana men's loafers to the left, crested and striped!

The Louboutin spiked shoe design is patented in USD735986. titled Shoe. In this patent, it is interesting that it is not the pump design that is patented, but indeed just the ornamental "spikes". The patent specifies that the broken lines of the shoe drawings (e.g.; Figs. 1 and 4 below) are "only for illustrative purposes and form no part of the claimed design" whereas "The ornamental design which is claimed is shown in solid lines".

Thus, this "spikes" design invention appears in many Louboutin models (sneakers, flats, sandals, boots..) with many variations in spikiness (on straps, at the back of the heel piece, or evenly distributed on the whole upper). For example, the following US design patents each cover differently spiked shoe designs and models: USD735981, USD734599, USD729506, USD712641 and US D707926.

Below, figure 1 and figure 4 for the Louboutin design patent USD735986 titled Shoe.

The patent further specifies that there are records indicating that the Harvanana style was first unveiled to the public in NYC, NY on May 30, 2011; the Pigalle Spikes style was first disclosed to the public in NYC, NY on Nov. 30th, 2009; and the Rollerboy spikes (another men's spiked loafer style) was first disclosed to the public in NYC, NY on Dec. 3, 2007.