First look: Christian Louboutin’s Oud Fétiche wants your attention, not your approval

If you think oud is over, tell that to Christian Louboutin. The brand has unveiled Oud Fétiche, a fruity leather entry to The Fétiche collection, and the name alone hints at lacquered confidence. Louboutin has always thrived on tension, that flash of red meeting strict lines. Fruity leather riding on oud feels like the exact kind of push-pull that turns heads, not tables.

Fruity leather can go wrong fast, either syrupy or screechy. When it works, it’s a flirtation with bite, a glossy top that never fully masks the grain of the hide beneath. Add a measured oud and you get shadows to balance the shine. That is likely the plot here, and it suits Louboutin’s aesthetic. Think evening makeup that makes sense at noon, stilettos that can walk a cobblestone street without apology.

Why this matters right now:

• The market is thick with oud, but a fruit-leather-oud triangle suggests a more urbane, club-to-boardroom read. If Oud Fétiche keeps the fruit sheer and the leather polished, it could be a daily-wear power move, not just a night-out sledgehammer.
• The Fétiche collection signals a house vocabulary built around texture and touch. A fruity leather installment pushes the line toward playful provocation without abandoning structure.

Who should sample first:

• Leather lovers who crave brightness on top, not just smoke or tar.
• Oud fans who are tired of barnyard and want something tailored.
• Anyone already collecting The Fétiche collection and craving a fresher counterpoint to darker staples.

Season and setting: I’d aim this at the shoulder seasons and cool evenings, though a light hand could pull it off year round. Fruity leather tends to bloom with body heat, so go easy on the trigger and let the air do the styling.

Early verdict, with my tester card ready: Oud Fétiche sounds like a calculated risk, and that’s exactly what I want from Christian Louboutin in 2026. If the fruit is ripe but not jammy, the leather is supple not shouty, and the oud is a backbone not a billboard, we may be looking at the brand’s most wearable power play yet.