The designer revered for the seductive effect of his red-soled shoes has established a new beauty venture called Christian Louboutin Beauté in partnership with a New York-based beauty group. Louboutin expects Beauté to roll out its first products in late 2013.

Although Louboutin declined to specify which categories his beauty brand will cover, he promised goods with as much luxury kick as his stilettos. The beauty side of the business ‘has to mirror the quality of the shoes, of the bags, of all the DNA of the brand,’ he told WWD.

‘The beauty adventure is a natural extension for someone like me, who likes to empower women,’ Louboutin said in a statement, ‘and to be a part of creating beauty seems like the right next step.’

It’s a brand extension sure to strike industry insiders as brilliant in its obviousness. After all, the slick red soles were inspired by a Louboutin employee’s red nail polish, and ‘Louboutin Manicures’ have taken off since Adele was spotted with red-underpainted nails at the Grammy awards.

‘The launch of the new Christian Louboutin Beauté is fantastically exciting for the industry,’ Selfridges Head of Beauty Jayne Demuro said. ‘Premium fashion collaborations are hugely popular—we saw great success when we launched Tom Ford Beauty here in Selfridges.’

Or as Robin Burns, chairman and co-founder of Louboutin's new beauty partner Batallure Beauty, put it: ‘Wearing a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes completely transforms a woman and Christian will bring that same transformative quality to women through his beauty products.’

Read about Louboutin's exhibition at the Design Museum