For Sabrina and Idris Elba’s latest fashion play, they teamed up with Christian Louboutin to co-design a footwear collection that honors their family origins and African culture. This collection marks the second release designed under the “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” initiative, which initially launched in June 2021 as a response to systematic racism and social injustice around the globe. Together, they created a dedicated capsule collection from which 100% of the proceeds from sales were donated to five organizations supporting social equality across the world – the first collection raised over a million dollars.
As a celebration of the first collection’s success, representatives from the participating charities reflected on the impact of the initiative. Debra Frazer, Vice President at Somali Hope Foundation, said in the press release, “The ‘Walk a Mile in My Shoes’ grant has played an important role in the sustainability of the Somali Hope Academy for the 2021-22 academic year. It is covering the enrollment costs for 402 of the 840 students.” Annie Murthi, Director of Finance and Operations at Purposeful (an organization that provides mentorships for girls in Sierra Leone), shared, “Thanks to the ‘Walk a Mile in My Shoes’ funding we’ve received, Purposeful was able to pilot our very first Mentors Academy in Sierra Leone. We brought together fifty incredible young women mentors, and the convening centered on their healing, joy, solidarity, consciousness raising, and collective action.“
For the second collection, the stylish couple blended their passion for flowers with paying homage to their family origins. The floral pattern featured throughout the collection combines three flowers from the countries of origins of Sabrina and Idris: the Protea flower (national flower of Somalia), the Cotton tree (national flower of Sierra Leone), and the Desert Rose (national flower of Ghana).
Within the 16-piece collection, two original styles imagined by Sabrina and Idris themselves are introduced. The Maryam sandal, which is a dedication to Sabrina’s mother as a tribute to her journey and her Somali heritage, and the SL2002 sneaker, which is named after Idris’s country of origin and his daughter’s date of birth.
This season proceeds from sales of the collection will support six non-profit organizations: Art Start, Immediate Theater, Casa 93, The Raining Season, Afrikids, and Elman Place. Discover and shop the full collection now at christianlouboutin.com.