Two days ago at the Louvre museum in Paris, Louis Vuitton presented a visually arresting presentation for its Fall/Winter 2020 collection that clashed eras and nourished fashion. The atmosphere was unique—200 characters were positioned behind a sheath curtain as the show’s backdrop, with personas dressed in 15th- to the 20-century garments and staged on tiered platforms. The historic grandstand was arranged by Stanley Kubrick’s Oscar-winning Designer of Costumes, Milena Canonero, who worked on a number of captivating films—like The Shining, A Clockwork Orange, and Barry Lyndon. As the crowd quieted down and the characters were still, music began to play.
Composed by Woodkid and Bryce Dessner, a song entitled Three Hundred and Twenty filled the air. (The title is named after the number of years between various movements referenced in baroque music.) Musical notes and scores mimicked that of Nicolas de Grigny—a peer of Johann Sebastian Bach’s who never received proper acclaim or had the chance to play at played at the Louvre. But for one night, his music was resurrected, and he reclaimed his forgotten chance to star at the Louvre.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
As models emerged through door holes that punctuated and framed the set, we immediately noticed the collision of time. Varying eras of fashion borrowed materials, designs, styles, cuts, and silhouettes for an amalgamation of fashion from borrowed years. As a testament to the past, and a prediction of the future, Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquière presented a new line of looks that picked apart our minds and what we thought about the yesteryears.
Armor-like metal purses with a Louis Vuitton crest guards the goods; tea-length, tiered petticoats are reimagined as dresses, with a transparent top leading to a wide ruffled trim of patent leather; ruched trousers reveal a zipper up the front of the leg, allowing for the pants to be tight or snug up to the thigh; and ruched bomber jumpsuits—with zips, pockets, and the futuristic “LV” logo first seen at the Cruise 2020 show—were paired with a new Petite Malle Clutch Trunk bag with a metallic strap and weather-friendly boots tied with logo leather laces.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Slingback kitten heels, leather gloves, and retro-esque bags—with a pattern made from “1854” and the monogram flower—were seen mixing the past, present, and future. A velvet logo headband draped a small, tight black veil that rested below the nose; baby blue bomber jackets were seen paired with patent leather skirts that borrowed vintage black lace prints; and elongated fur-trimmed leather jackets featured double stripes on the breast, infusing a classic staple piece with a bit of futuristic flair.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
