Christian Louboutin Announces a Joint Venture Partnership in India with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL), India's leading fashion company, today announced a partnership with Christian Louboutin, one of the world's most famous shoe designers known for his high-end footwear and iconic soles. This joint venture envisages the transfer of the current Indian business into a newly incorporated subsidiary of ABFRL where the partners will hold equal stake.

Founded in 1991 in the heart of Paris, Christian Louboutin is one of the leading names in global luxury, world famous for its signature red sole shoes. Christian Louboutin has successfully diversified its business into men's footwear, leather goods & accessories, beauty and kids. Christian Louboutin has established its retail presence in over 30 countries.

"We are excited to partner with ABFRL's team and look forward to working with them to manage and develop the business in India which is an extremely important market for us," commented Alexis Mourot, Christian Louboutin's Group CEO.

Ashish Dikshit, Managing Director, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited commented, "We are thrilled to announce our strategic alliance with Christian Louboutin, a true icon in luxury footwear. This partnership reflects our commitment to offering our discerning customers the very best in elegance and style. It also exemplifies our ambition to develop and shape the future of the luxury market in India."

"We are excited to welcome Christian Louboutin into the ABFRL family and building a strong platform for the brand in India. The brand's distinctive style and craftsmanship appeals to a discerning Indian audience that is growing rapidly," Sathyajit Radhakrishnan, CEO of International Business, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited.

Christian Louboutin established his business in the heart of Paris in 1991, first with a collection for Women followed by a Men's collection a few years later, both recognizable by the signature red lacquered sole. 2014 welcomed Christian Louboutin Beaute, while in, 2022 the House launched new categories dedicated to Kids and Pets. With a prolific collection of shoes, leather goods and accessories, Christian Louboutin now counts more than 150 points of sales around the world.

ABFRL is part of a leading Indian conglomerate, The Aditya Birla Group. With revenue of Rs. 12,418 Cr. spanning retail space of 10.8 million sq. ft. (as on March 31, 2023), it is India's first billion dollar pure-play fashion powerhouse with an elegant bouquet of leading fashion brands and retail formats.

The Company has a network of 3,977 stores across approximately 33,535 multi-brand outlets with 6,723 point of sales in department stores across India (as on 31st March 2023).

It has a repertoire of India's largest brands in Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England, established over 25 years. Pantaloons is one of India's leading fashion retailer.

The Company's international Brands portfolio includes - The Collective, Amongst India's largest multi-brand retailers of international brands and has long term exclusive partnerships with select brands such as Ralph Lauren, Hackett London, Ted Baker, Fred Perry, Forever 21, American Eagle, Reebok and Galeries Lafayette.

Van Heusen Innerwear, Athleisure and Active wear is establishing itself as India's most innovative and fashionable brand. The Company's foray into branded ethnic wear business includes brands such as Jaypore, Tasva & Marigold Lane. The company has strategic partnerships with Designers 'Shantnu & Nikhil', 'Tarun Tahiliani', 'Sabyasachi' and 'House of Masaba'.

In addition, to cater to the needs of digitally native consumers, ABFRL is building a portfolio of Digital-first brands under its technology led 'House of D2C Brands' venture TMRW. TMRW is on a path to building a portfolio of Digital First brands in partnership with founders of emerging brands in the E-Commerce market. With a focus on Fashion & Lifestyle categories, TMRW is building a portfolio of the most loved consumer brands that tap into the significant growth potential in India and globally.