March 8, 2022 |
Louis Vuitton took over the vast atrium of the Musee D’Orsay for a fashion first – the museum had never hosted a catwalk event. Nicolas Ghesquiere’s models, led by Squid Game superstar HoYeon Jung, snaked around its sculptures and famous artworks wearing clothes designed as a tribute to youth. Ghesquiere described the collection as “a kind of teenage fantasy, a certain stylistic idea of adolescence”. His own eighties youth found its way into the oversized silhouettes and androgynous tailoring but it never strayed into nostalgia. Ghesquiere infused his looks with “Freedom of movement, ease total comfort”, which belied the intricate work that went into the collection.
The textures were intense and couture-like, with hybridised pieces that looked like they were emerging, one from another. A slip rendered in embroidery “emerged” from an oversized T-shirt dress; a bouncy, tweedy pannier was part-scarf, part mini-skirt. There was a casualness to even the finest pieces with Rugby shirts worn over gossamer chiffon gowns, and chunky knits tied around models waists. There were also a section dedicated to David Sims with images of his early work (showing the skinny, young cool kids of the nineties) appliquéd onto blousy, floral pieces – a juxtaposition inspired by the way teens plaster pictures of their idols on their bedroom walls. Despite the eighties silhouettes, this collection had its eyes on the future. Ghesquiere dedicated it to youth,“in the hopes that it can keep the unresolved poetry of adolescence – like a flawless garment – in all its vivid romanticism, inspiring idealism, hope for the future, for a better world.”
Photography by Jason Lloyd-Evans.
