not Ken, Christian Louboutin "Rollerball" Studded Flats...and Barbie

A while back ago, I mentioned Barbie's visit to the Mall of America, both in the form of pop-up shop and retrospective exhibition. On a more glamorous level, WWD reports today on Christian Louboutin for Barbie, the latest collaboration celebrating Barbie's 50th birthday. I don't feel the need to rehash when and where the dolls and doll-sized shoes that come out of this collection will be sold. But I did find the photo diary that is also part of this collection rather interesting. Per WWD:

The diary, which comes with the jewel thief Barbie and is also sold separately for $40, is titled “My Year in Paris With Christian Louboutin.” Launching in December, it features photos of the doll shopping with Louboutin in his boutique, on a journey down the Nile, performing at the Moulin Rouge and in a cafe with a male doll that is decidedly not Ken.

“I will have to go with no comment,” Cota said of the non-Ken. “He is a boy who is a friend and not necessarily a boyfriend. As a rule, we don’t comment on Barbie and Ken’s personal life, but I can tell you they are definitely talking and they’re friendly.”

Ken or not Ken, he looks gorgeous. And if he's not Barbie's boyfriend, maybe he should move on and meet Ken. Regardless, he isn't the only stand-in for Ken in the images from this photo diary -- Christian Louboutin seems to be the only actual human posing in each picture (of which previews can be seen on WWD), all the other attractive male characters are plastic. It's fantastic.

And speaking of Monsieur Louboutin himself, it appears he's donned his own footwear label when it comes to posing in front of the lense. Check him out in his Rollerball studded flats. Wonderful.

image from Jak & Jil