Friendship: Christian Louboutin and Valérie Schlumberger meet in Paris. One starts his eponymous luxury shoewear line, the other chooses to travel the world, leaving for Sénegal where she creates her ethical company, La Maison Rose. In honour of their long-lasting, inter-continental relationship, the two friends decide to collaborate together to create a unique accessory, a printed tote bag, that would support Senegalese and Malian craftsmanship.
Colour: the colour of the Maison Rose, a candy-hued refuge for women in difficulty in the town of Dakar, housing mother and children in need. The colour of Louboutin’s red soles, instantly recognisable, worn by the fashion industry’s biggest and brightest. But also the colours of the Africaba, a joyful explosion of tones and prints, a unique bag bringing together traditional wax motifs and the carmine signature of the Parisian fashion house.
Craftsmanship: as La Maison Rose cannot survive solely on donations, Valérie starts her Compagnie du Sénégal et de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (CSAO), a Parisian shop and local program teaching Senegalese women different handicraft techniques, in order for them to provide for their families themselves when they leave the refuge. With the help of Ondine Saglio, Valérie’s daughter, fifteen women specialized in embroidery dream up a unique creation, inspired by the motifs young brides embroider on the bedding in their new homes: the Africaba, colorful totebag decorated with the CL initials. Good to know : 10% of proceeds go to the Maison Rose charity. Unique and beautiful.
