Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall/Winter 2022 collection finally made its debut on the third day of Paris Men’s Fashion Week. This season still features Virgil Abloh’s LV menswear.
It’s not about comparison, regardless of status, ability, qualifications, etc. I’ve been thinking all along, as Virgil Abloh’s last collection for Louis Vuitton, if there could be a memorial exhibition like the one prepared for Alber Elbaz last season, perhaps it would bring greater significance to this season’s LV menswear show. Of course, as the focal point of Paris Men’s Fashion Week every season, being able to participate as usual in the presentation week is the best arrangement for Virgil.
Virgil’s eighth LV menswear collection brings 67 looks, the fashion show includes clothing, dance, music, art, culture, and ideological consciousness, all of which are telling one thing – dreams. This is what Virgil has always wanted to share, communicate, and educate through fashion design, so today, for Virgil Abloh, this place is more like the 𝓛𝓸𝓾𝓲𝓼 Dreamhouse™, and the foundation of this season’s story is “Boyhood Ideology®”.
The meaning of 𝓛𝓸𝓾𝓲𝓼 Dreamhouse™ is a summary of the various themes and information created by him for Louis Vuitton, as well as: “An eight-part series that advances according to traditional hero stories: a classic story about the weak, who, after enduring tests, ultimately becomes an outstanding figure in the eyes of others.” This is how it is written in the fashion show notes.
This fashion show was presented in a highly narrative way, such as the pre-show teaser shot in a film style; the venue was decorated to recreate scenes from the fourth season, echoing the fantastical staircase and blue sky dreamscape from the movie “The Truman Show”; there were also elements in the fashion show symbolizing Virgil’s multiple creative identities, such as the Chineke! Orchestra, parkour and street dance, models of different skin tones, and various artists’ works referenced by Virgil for this season’s designs. Even the hanging clock in the venue was in line with the theme of the fourth season, stopping at the time (or number) “8”, with the entire presentation set to music curated by Virgil’s friend and musical genius Tyler, the Creator. Emotionally, it was quite touching.
In comparison to all the settings in the scene, the design of clothing hides countless “memories”. Virgil defines this season’s concept of “boyhood thinking” as seen from a child’s innocent perspective, unaffected by societal prejudices. He hopes to reset our existing views, start anew, and see clothes as clothes, and people as people.
Although Virgil unfortunately left in November, nearly 95% of this season was designed and completed by him personally, so all designs are filled with his design characteristics and signature. For example, the magician pattern seen in it symbolizes his imagination, echoing Virgil Abloh’s metaphor and narrative of “The Wizard of Oz” in the first season of LV menswear; in the first advertising campaign, he reconstructed the masterpiece “The Patiner’s Studio” by the realist master and founder, French 19th-century painting master Gustave Courbet, into a photographic direction, and in this series, he re-referenced the original design to create hanging and printed patterns, as well as using Giorgio de Chirico’s “The Melancholia of Departure” to create different prints; Virgil, who loves surrealism and is attracted by the sincerity of romanticism, interprets flowers as a symbol of human diversity, applying them to different suits, jackets, hats, and shirts.
This season’s release comes with a 38-page fashion show appendix, allowing everyone to clearly understand this collection and revisit some of the quotes Virgil has said before. To understand Virgil Abloh’s designs for Louis Vuitton, one must understand the concepts of defining and redefining.
He used fashion as a tool to interpret and challenge the prejudices associated with human appearance, and the interpretation of this series is based on our desire to change perspectives and angles. Rather than saying Virgil has left us, after this presentation, it is more appropriate to change our perspective and see the present as the beginning of change; I hope that from today, everyone can also carefully read through this appendix, savoring every word, and feel the warmth generated by the Louis Vuitton design team and models embracing each other under the accompaniment of music as the sun shines in the venue. Virgil was here and will always be.
資料及圖片來源：Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
