The New Louis Vuitton woman, of Nicolas Ghesquière's making, wears knee-high leather boots, retro mini-skirts, and leather jackets. Ghesquière, formerly of Balenciaga, made his much-awaited debut for the brand on Wednesday in Paris, taking things in a different direction than former creative director Marc Jacobs had during his tenure.
The collection was free from any major house logos. Sexy coats with suede lapels were worn over white roll-neck tops. Petite a-frame suede mini-skirts featured patchwork pockets or cut-out patterns on leather. Some of the minis were printed with busy, floral-seeming decorations, but were worn with leather, v-neck tops with cut-out sleeves that were tucked into the skirts. Others were paired with sportswear-inspired tops—think a tracksuit zip-up made glam with diagonal decorative panels.
High-waisted, legging-style trousers with thick panels of color—blue on gray, or multiple shades of green—were paired with a funky waistcoat tied over a roll-neck with a raw-looking leather strap as a belt. Most dresses were cinched at the waist with leather belts, creating a v-shape reaching in both directions—the zipped-up tops were sporty and futuristic, but extended into dainty sleeves, blending a range of styles seamlessly into one piece.
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There were equestrian-esque checkered jackets worn over tight, sexy black trousers and skirts, and elegant, wooly v-neck sweaters layered atop dainty shirts Leather designs were found heavily throughout the collection in the form of jackets, pants, and detailing on dresses—the pieces looked like a modern-day warrior, protection for an urban girl out in the field each day. Gloriously smooth, full-grain leather was contrasted with hybrid materials. Bold, bright colors were juxtaposed with muted half-tones. Hand-crafted artisanal techniques were updated with a high-tech twist.
In the show notes, Ghesquière described his debut collection as something that looked both forward and back, combining craftsmanship and new techniques with old materials.
“This familiar wardrobe appeals to the collective unconscious, stirring our affective memory. We never tire of these perennial pieces; they are faithful friends. Eternally under their alluring spell, we delight in wearing them time and again,” he said. “A peppering of original designs shakes up the cozy coterie; these distinctly modern, strikingly stylish newcomers open up the much-loved wardrobe to new pairings and a landscape of possibilities. A time-honored and noble legacy is kept alive by a yearning for discovery and exploration. Coursing boldly and imaginatively through the decades, Louis Vuitton refreshes the world of fashion with an untiring ebb and flow of retrospective and fresh perspective."
Ghesquière's initial collection tells a tale of expertise made possible by innovative techniques. It focuses on the highlights and remains open to interpretation, as well as serves as living proof that today’s “timeless” was at one time seen as innovative. In this collection, "the timeless is now.”
