Luxury shoe designer Christian Louboutin’s namesake boutique is the first of the new shops to debut from the makeover underway at Highland Park Village. The HPV location, set between Patrizio’s and Vilebrequin, is the designer’s seventh U.S. boutique that carries only the brand’s women’s and men’s shoes and handbags.
If you plan to score some of Louboutin’s famous red-soled, sky-high heels, you’ll want to know Erin Malstrom, the manager of the Dallas store. Malstrom is a Fayetteville, Arkansas, native who first came to Dallas seven years ago to work for another luxury fashion house, Louis Vuitton. She moved with Vuitton across the country, including stints in Manhattan and most recently Austin, but she never forgot the big-city-yet-small-town feel of Dallas and always wanted to return. When she heard Louboutin was coming to HPV, she jumped at the chance to land her dream job.
Malstrom was a self-professed “shoe girl” and a huge fan of the brand even before signing on. “I remember strolling with a guy friend past the beautiful Louboutin store on Horatio Street in Manhattan. I told him he needed to find a girl with a pair of red-soled shoes,” Malstrom says. “They give you a whole new demeanor and set you apart. You just walk differently.”
photography courtesy of vendors
She thinks Louboutin appeals to a diverse audience of shoe lovers, from ostentatious fashionistas to more conservative ladies who lunch. The boutique has shoes for both, including exclusive styles that you can’t find at Neiman Marcus or Barneys. One hot style for fall, the Clou Noeud 150 studded sling back, recently spotted on Rihanna and Heidi Klum, is no longer available anywhere but the Dallas boutique. Better put Malstrom on speed dial.
DVF Does HPV, Too
Christian Louboutin isn’t the only new boutique on the block in Highland Park Village. Diane Von Furstenberg will open its doors this month, featuring the fashion icon’s sophisticated yet fun ready-to-wear collection. It’s no longer merely about the wrap dress that helped launch the designer’s empire, although there are still plenty of those to choose from. This fall, the collection is rich with dressed-up looks for the working woman or gal about town, such as chic, tailored pantsuits and cocktail dresses accented with metallics, leather, and lace. The boutique will also carry shoes (trust us, you’ll want to check out the Jordan suede boots that can be worn over the knee or folded down), as well as handbags, belts, scarves, Kindle covers, and eyewear. In fact, it will have the largest selection of DVF products in Texas.
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