photographed by robert maxwell

french shoe designer christian louboutin must be the gatekeeper of desire and principles. ‘‘when i design my summer collection, i must work in a hot place,’’ he says. ‘‘and i must be in a cold place when i design for winter.’’ he chose brazil for the summer; and for th fall winter collection his estate in the french countryside has no heat and is therefore ideal for wintertime. light wait globe-trotter, louboutin always packs light: ‘‘i only do carry-on.’’ but what about fanatics who can’t bear to part with their louboutins when they travel? ‘‘my advice to them would be to ship the pairs before. that way, they can bring as many as they’d like.’’ is that fed ex or by private carrier? by dd