French fashion designer Christian Louboutin was BOTD in 1964. Born and raised in Paris to middle-class white parents, his dark skin led him to imagine he was adopted from Egypt. (Later in life, he discovered that he was the product of an affair and that his biological father was of Egyptian heritage). A rebellious student and frequently expelled from school, he was allowed to move out of the family home at 12 and live with friends. As a teenager, he became a fixture of the Parisian nightclub circuit, appearing in his friend Virginie Thevenet’s experimental films La Nuit Porte Jarretelles and Jeux d’Artifices. After dropping out of school, he worked as a backstage costume assistant at the Folies-Bergère nightclub, where he became interested in fashion design. He apprenticed with shoe designer Roger Vivier and worked as a freelance designer for Chanel, Maud Frizon and Yves Saint Laurent. In 1992, he launched his own design house, specialising in luxury women’s shoes with bright red soles, a signature design he later trademarked. He quickly attracted prestigious clients including Princess Caroline of Monaco, Diane von Fürstenberg and Catherine Deneuve, whose patronage helped boost his reputation. His brand went global in the 2000s as he courted American celebrity clients, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Blake Lively, Taylor Swift and the rapper Cardi B, who referred to Louboutin’s red heels in her song lyrics. His red-soled stiletto heels become one of the 21st century’s most recognised luxury items, aided by a series of lawsuits in which Louboutin successfully prevented other fashion houses from copying his red sole design. His global empire includes flagship stores around the world and expansions into luxury handbags, cosmetics and fragrances. As at 2020, the Louboutin brand’s net worth was estimated at US $1.2 billion. Openly gay since fovever, Louboutin has been in a relationship with landscape architect Louis Benech since 1999. In 2023, he solidified his icon status when he appeared as a guest judge in the TV reality show contest Drag Race France.