Everyone who knows me personally knows how much I love birthdays . . . particularly my own. After all, your birthday is truly the only day of the year that is entirely yours to do with it whatever you want. Last week I had the pleasure of celebrating yet another birthday -- for the entire week I might add -- and each day turned into one feel good moment after another. But despite how exciting the week had already been, I never in a million years would have anticipated that on last Thursday I would be sitting side by side with the most notable women's shoe designer in the entire world, Monsieur Christian Louboutin.
It was indeed a surreal experience . . . one I will never, ever forget. My husband and I were in NYC (part deux of my celebratory week; part one was spent with my girlfriends at Canyon Ranch Miami Beach), and we headed to Bergdorf Goodman because I was in search of a pair of shoes for an upcoming black tie event. As we stepped off of the escalator into the women's shoe salon, I was taken aback by the number of people buzzing around the department at 2:30 on a weekday. I mean I knew why I was there, but was it feasible that all of these women just happened to be looking for shoes as well? I immediately said to my husband "I wonder what the heck is going on here?" and then I began looking around the floor for answers. As I focused on what was going on about three feet in front of me, I noticed there were a bunch of women patiently standing in line, obviously waiting to meet someone important. Because it was literally standing room only, I couldn't immediately see who was seated at the table. But as I looked to the right of the area where the table was, I saw a woman holding a pair of those infamous red-soled shoes. I audibly gasped, my heart started palpitating, and although I was almost rendered speechless, I managed to say to my husband, "Oh my god . . . Christian Louboutin is here signing his shoes!"
Whatever my original purpose was for coming into the store, I didn't care! I told my husband to find a seat because I was now in search of my very own pair of Louboutins (my first believe it or not) so I could be amongst the privileged standing in that line. For a while it seemed as though I was walking around in circles, moving from one fab shoe to another, desperately wishing that my buddy Sean was there to just tell me which shoe to buy. (Yes, sometimes stylists need help too!) I immediately called Sean on the phone, resisted my urge to scream, and very quietly but emphatically said to him, "I'm in Bergdorfs, Christian Louboutin is here signing his shoes, and boy do I wish you were here to pick these shoes out for me!" He was equally as excited, and told me if I needed his help making a decision, to send him a picture message. (That's what great friends and stylists do!) After I hung up the phone, I finally calmed myself down. I chose a couple of pairs of shoes to try on, and went searching for a sales associate. I tried on the first pair, walked over to my husband to show him, and the decision was made.
My sales guy told me to go stand in line while he processed the transaction. There went the heart palpitations again. A few minutes later my salesman came back with my shoes and my receipt, and handed me the right shoe out of the box so it would be ready for signing. As I moved a little further up in the line, a young lady asked me for the spelling of my first name, and then handed me a piece of paper to give Mr. Louboutin when it was my turn.
I eventually signaled for my husband to come and get my camera. I wanted every single moment of this once in a lifetime experience documented. As I came to be the next person in line, I began chatting with a gentleman who was obviously the head of the women's designer shoe department. He asked me if I knew that Christian was going to be in the store that day, and I explained to him that my hubby and I were in NYC celebrating my birthday and just happened to come in. He became excited for me and said "It was meant to be!"
When I first sat across from Mr. Louboutin and handed him my shoe, I literally felt my heart thumping in my throat. But he was so engaging and so charming, I relaxed in about two seconds. We exchanged hellos, and he immediately admired the shoe I handed to him. (Nothing better than having the shoe designer himself give you that stamp of approval that you chose well!) He then proceeded to tell me how beautiful he thought the name Adrienne was, and he asked me did I like my name as a child. I immediately found myself in conversation with him about how he has a very good friend named Adrienne who didn't like her name as a child either because no one could spell or pronounce it properly -- the story of my life. I thought it quite interesting that he went on to say that the name Adrienne is very much a "woman's" name (as opposed to a girl's name), because after all this man certainly knows women!
After he autographed my shoe, I asked if I could temporarily occupy the empty seat next to him so my hubby could take a picture. He replied "of course," and I was again taken aback by just how down to earth he was. Once the photo-op ended, he bid me farewell, and I truly felt as if I had just stepped out of a dream.
Since my husband and I returned from NYC, I have taken the right shoe out of the box several times just to admire it. I am looking forward to wearing them, even though deep down inside I feel like they should be placed in a glass case and displayed on a pedestal "museum style." I know there are many women around the world who share the love of these red soles, and have them in their closet as their most prized possessions. But I feel so privileged to be among the few women who will be able to say I have met the man, and have the autographed sole to show it!
(To see additional photos posted on my FB fan page click here.)
