Nicolas Ghesquière presents his latest collection for Louis Vuitton Women’s Fall Winter 2023 at Musee d’Orsay.
Louis Vuitton is one of the most quintessentially French labels operating in Paris today – its legacy is beat out only by Hermès (founded in 1837, Vuitton in 1854) in terms of longevity, but Monsieur Vuitton made his name as trunk-packer to the French empress, at a time when such a position was an absolute necessity. And Vuitton has nestled at the heart of the French establishment ever since – under Nicolas Ghesquière’s near-ten-year tenure, its shows have taken place in a pair of the country’s greatest museums: the Louvre and the perhaps lesser known Musée d’Orsay. The Louvre is, of course, the big kahuna, its art roaming the globe and the centuries, but the d’Orsay is more fundamentally French, its holding centred around impressionist and post-impressionist pieces, created while Vuitton was plying his craft too. So, it’s natural that Ghesquière would unveil his own ode to France and French style in the confines of the latter, its gilded and crystal-swagged ballroom the canvas for an installation by the artist Philippe Parreno.
“The idea was creating a reflection of the current state of modern Paris and France and kind of creating this live document of the street.” Read a video narrative in the brand’s Instagram teaser. “We talked about capturing these ghosts, this vibration of this moment in Paris.”
“What is the French style? The question itself is an enigma, kindling endless fascination. An irresolute fashion residing above an oxymoronic foundation of audacious tradition. An evolutive fashion, like the palimpsest of multiple currents from all over, in which couture conventions embrace an astonishing mix of cultures to become what is known as the French exception. This style of ineffable magnetism still intrigues the world; that too is paradoxical: sophistication with a dilettante’s air. French allure is a trompe l’oeil. The French touch never fails to captivate.” – From Louis Vuitton.
On the runway, the designer focused on playing with volumes of clothing and trompe l’oeil effects. He also wanted to reinterpret formalwear to create a fresh French silhouette by reverting to a lot of classic, wearable tailoring but still applying his own singular creativity and luxury style. He even introduced some 1920s-inspired footwear to some looks. Besides, Nicolas presented draped elegant blazers, leather coats, knit scarves, trompe l’oeil dresses, suits packed with scarves and attached to sports coats, and thick knits formed both angular dresses and cardigans alike. He also emphasised creating his designs by paying attention to details, as well as, distinctive fabric combinations, including sequined, leather jeans painted with pinstripes, glittering beaded dresses, and web-like three-dimensional shape dresses with thousands of metal coils. Certain elements and bold accessories were also included in some of the pieces, such as pointed collars, important shoulders, belts in the waist, rounded shapes with rounded sleeves, luminous glasses as futuristic elements, and more. Fashion design certainly wrapped vintage and glamorous style.
Apart from the incredible collection, a long list of stars attended the front row to witness the runway show, including Zendaya, Alicia Vikander, Lea Seydoux, Antonella Roccuzzo, Chiara Ferragni, Venus Williams, Jaden Smith, Rayssa Leal, Bailey Bass, Sarah Catherine Paulson, Emma Stone, Bernard Arnault, Deepika Padukone, and recently named “artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear” designs last month Pharrell Williams was also in attendance.
For instance, Sophie Turner arrived at the LV presentation wearing an outfit printed from head-to-toe with music notes. Tuner added Louis Vuitton’s now-iconic Twist bag to her look, and she accessorised the coordinating silk pants and shirt with “black leather ankle boots with a platform lug sole and a thick block heel.” Turner’s partnership with LV started back at the 2017 Golden Globes and she can now count celebs like Zendaya, Chloë Grace Moretz, Gemma Chan, and Emma Stone as her co-workers.
Take a closer look at the Louis Vuitton’s Fall-Winter 2023 collection below.
