2018 is all about transcending time and trends for Nicolas Ghesquière. After all, the world we inhabit now is diverse, complex and polarising. What was created for the Spring-Summer season, he takes it a step further in the latest chapter with a swift segue from amped up athleisure into space and beyond.
Since the rise of sci-fi crowd-pleasers from Mad Max to Westworld– the visual mashup of all periods and genres has become quite a thing. Leaning straight into the popular culture around Stranger Things (Ghesquière is a big fan), artificial intelligence, and the romantic notion of time travel, the house of Louis Vuitton anticipates the coming of winter with a cascade of contrasts.
And no efforts are spared to engineer the head-on visual collision of past, present and future. Entering the earth’s atmosphere in red hot fashion, this FW time capsule crashlands in the Louvre Palace where a feisty hybrid of old-world flourish and tomorrow’s digital tweaks are paraded down horse ramps of a 19th-century courtyard.
The result is fascinating.
At first, the notion of marrying leather shearling, chunky bling, metallic frills, sporty stripes, floaty silk dresses, sensible skirts, colourful corsages, cowboy tassels, houndstooth with animal prints seem a tad overwhelming, but somehow Ghesquière knows exactly how to layer each detail harmoniously so that every look emanates the future-ready vibe.
It is a collection of separates and accessories that is scalable; every woman can pick one piece to make it just about her. This is precisely how the collection succeeds in advocating the evolution of the formidable female form.
Put simply, Fall/Winter for Louis Vuitton is a reflection of modern times, the expression of our multi-hyphenate lives and the duality of human nature – it’s literally ok to be complicated and “wear” that on our sleeves.
And what that looks like right now is a lush spread of going-out separates like sporty collars on beaded brocade and coloured corsets over glittery halter tops.
Also spotted – office-friendly pleated skirts paired to strong shoulder frills jostling with animal and pixel print. And to boldly go where no one has, the LV logo gets a “starship enterprise” remake too. All of us noticed that pop of sunny yellow.
The futuristic tone went into full throttle with cosy clutches posing as bejewelled battery cans and totes that resembled computer circuitry. It’s a nice touch, to have the sporty Lycra arm warmer and leather glove on just the bag-carrying arm.
Drink-It Bag
It’s like déjà vu – when it’s good, it gives you the feel-good tingles. Ghesquière is masterful in crafting that balance between old-school and edgy, not to mention give flexibility and space to imagine, mix and match – a virtue the modern woman embodies.
Here were the otherworldly celebrities who landed in the Louvre that night:
Chloe Moretz, Laura Harrier, Nicolas Ghesquière, Sienna Miller, Jaden Smith, Sophie Turner
All images courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Related link:
9 Major Fall-Winter 2018/9 Trends Fashion’s Talking About Now
