Louis Vuitton ‘blow up’ show caps off energetic fashion season

PARIS –

The lights of Louis Vuitton’s amusement park shone as brightly as the starry front row on Tuesday for Nicolas Ghesquiere’s vibrant and infectious spring collection that capped off Paris Fashion Week.

The dramatic blasts of a tribal drum echoed across the cobblestones of the Louvre, drawing guests into a surreal world of circus mirrors, Las Vegas lights, and myriad red latex tent-like trusses, where the clothing.

Earlier in the day, a more low-key collection awaited guests attending Chanel at the Grand Palais Ephemere for one of the other big highlights of the season finale.

Here are some highlights from Tuesday’s spring-summer 2023 collections:

BABY I SHRINCHED THE MODELS

If Nicolas Ghesquiere aroused enthusiasm with the circus set that curved like a round theater, the playful designs did not disappoint.

This season, the 51-year-old Louis Vuitton designer let his childhood imagination run wild with the bang theme.

Giant zippers accompanied even larger Monogram “tote” bags, huge bow collars, clown buttons and huge unfolding sections of leather that were reminiscent of the hit movie “Honey I Shrunk the Kids.”

Beyond the obvious gimmicks, there were some accomplished looks in the colourful, youthful collection that was also a fun, contemporary take on the royal outfit.

Inflated Elizabethan collars, or were they lifebuoys? – received a sporty makeover with flowing, ruched dresses and stomping black boots. Elsewhere, the renaissance neckline silhouette playfully ran down the body in another hip-length look.

There was a method to the madness: the sheer vibrancy of the designs gave coherence to the collection as a whole.

Ghesquiere perhaps went too far with a series of puffy, leather-patterned zippers, but standout pieces like an embroidered multicolor apron dress surely made up for it.

THE LV STARS

Pop icon Janet Jackson looked the poster child for calm as cameras circled her inside the oldest courtyard of the former royal palace, the Cour Carre, amidst the dazzling lights of the set.

Jennifer Connelly walked quickly backstage. Lea Seydoux posed for photographers near fashion’s richest CEO, LVMH’s Bernard Arnault, and “House of the Dragon” star Milly Alcock soaked in her newfound fame, a recent addition to the front-row crowd. . The Australian actress who played childhood princess Rhaenyra did not forget her sense of humor and lamented that it was “terrible” that her character had to grow up and be replaced in the hit prequel.

There were so many celebrities that some bewildered fashion journalists just sat, beaten, with their VIP cheat sheet in their laps.

High-octane scenes like these are the norm at Louis Vuitton, which since Karl Lagerfeld’s death at Chanel has become the undisputed highlight of the last day of Paris ready-to-wear. It is a glamorous accessory for the entire fashion season that runs through New York, London and Milan and always ends in the City of Light.

THE SPRING OF CHANEL

Parisian stalwart designer Virginie Viard blandly referred to the 1980s in a simple overall collection sprinkled with black and white that looked like it had nothing to prove.

There were some minor emotions.

A-line minis took their eyes to flashes of provocation, like thigh-high white lattice socks. Irina Shayk dazzled in an off-the-shoulder flecked dress with cap sleeves and tiered ruffles. Jersey was created to be like scales.

And a polka dot leather dress with a stiff, billowy overskirt provided a historical reflection for the house founded in 1910, nicely inspired by turn-of-the-century styles.

But the looks that the house likened to “a collage” were delivered very, at times, too subtly by Viard, who replaced the exuberant Lagerfeld following his death in 2019. The beating heart of this exhibit was an understatement.

The era-spanning black-and-white images of décor, including the empty historic gardens from the 1961 slow-motion film “Last Year in Marienbad,” may not have helped the mood, but the collection of 71 looks felt a lack of energy at times.

Still, the props provided nice shots of vibrancy. Jeweled brooches, pearl and jeweled dangling pendants, and cascading gold necklaces gave the minimalist looks a fashionable ’80s feel.

MIU MIU BECOMES UTILITARIAN

Miuccia Prada’s little sister brand Miu Miu turned utilitarian for a collection featuring versions of anoraks and trouser pockets, watched by a crowd including Poppy Delevingne, Alexa Chung and Pixie Geldof.

With fewer bold design features than usual, Prada used anoraks, zippers and buttons to explore the theme of unfolding and turning things around.

The front of an amorphous alabaster coat billowed, unbuttoned top and bottom. The vests had the label on the front, as if they had been worn backwards. And an ecru wrap dress was created to look like it had been worn inside out.

Later, in the 63 Looks collection, leather designs used the double pockets associated with workmen to create low belts, or were randomly stippled on an apron.

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