Maison Christian Louboutin Men’s Fall Winter 2026 under Men’s Creative Director Jaden Smith opens with image before product, setting the tone through an immersive exhibition in Paris conceived as a gradual reveal. Screens flicker with fragments of recorded history, early cinematic references, and shifting light, framing the collection as an exploration of how identity takes shape through visual culture.
The project unfolds across a series of connected spaces. Each environment adds context, allowing the collection to surface in stages. This structure positions the debut as an opening proposition, one that acknowledges the existing codes of Christian Louboutin Men while setting a new creative direction in motion. Fashion, visual art, music, and historical reference operate together as tools for navigation through the exhibition.
Photography and cinema form the backbone of the visual language. These mediums sit at the center of Smith’s practice and link directly to France through their shared origins. References to 19th-century experiments with light and movement appear throughout the exhibition, recalling a period when image-making began to shape identity in new ways.
An avant-première capsule offers an early entry point into Smith’s universe. Launching on January 22 in select boutiques and online, the capsule revisits established silhouettes while introducing more experimental forms. A controlled palette of red, black, and white defines the selection. This release sets the stage for the full Men’s Fall Winter 2026 collection, scheduled to arrive in stores in June.
Footwear anchors the narrative. The Corteo, first introduced in Fall Winter 2019, appears as a central reference within the exhibition. It serves as a gateway into the Maison’s recent history and into Smith’s interpretation of form and purpose. He associates the shoe with discipline and intention, linking it to figures who build through sustained effort. In his own words, the collection draws inspiration from “the history of working men throughout the centuries,” referencing stone masons, scribes, and doctors while situating these roles within a broader cosmic vision shaped by pressure and time.
The exhibition expands beyond garments and shoes to examine how images circulate and accumulate meaning. A 360-degree installation composed of vintage television screens assembles footage from different eras. These sequences move between major historical moments and everyday scenes.
A photographic installation presents pieces from the collection captured using early photographic techniques. Each image forms beneath a cloth and develops by hand through silver and chemical solutions.
The experience concludes with a monumental exploded red head that dominates the final room. This sculptural element acts as an immersive display and marks the final chapter of the exhibition. Through this sequence of spaces, the debut frames Christian Louboutin Men as a system shaped by image, history, and evolving identity.
