Louis Vuitton deviated from presenting on a conventional runway during their Men’s FW23 show in Paris, instead a playful reimagining of a house provided the set for the Maison’s latest menswear collection, which was created collaboratively by the house’s design team – many of whom worked under the wing of Virgil Abloh, including Ibrahim Kamara, and founder of KidSuper, Colm Dilliane. Louis Vuitton gave Dilliane temporary reins of the house, making him the first designer to co-create a collection post-Virgil. The results are a harmonious fusion of Dillane’s design cues – imaginative flourishes, flowing suits, and bold, splashy pigment – and the core elements of Abloh’s essential menswear collections.
The collection encapsulated the late designer’s penchant for imaginative flights, featuring garments emblazoned with fun, idiosyncratic elements, such as a suit stitched entirely out of notes and huge, puffy versions of its iconic bags. Eclectic suiting with oversized aesthetics, as well as refined pieces decorated with hand-drawn motifs by Dilliane, see Louis Vuitton continue to thrive in the contemporary age. His colorful child-like paintings were hyper-elaborated into patchworked tracksuits and jacquarded onto a suit, formal coat, and a souvenir LV Keepall.
Much of the collection hinged on tailoring: broad across the shoulder with wide pointed collars, often embellished with a ruffled trim, or zip fastenings. Emblazoned Louis Vuitton varsity jackets, as well as exaggerated puffers also continue to be a household staple for the FW23 collection.
In the show notes, the house’s team shared inspirations for the collection: young men embracing a vision of “paternal masculinity” through oversized garments that challenge tropes in male-designated clothing. The ensuing designs, called “Louis Lifewear”, range from technical sportswear to floor-scraping gowns, not confined by palette, material, or form.
The show evoked a sense of playfulness and nostalgia that was underpinned by themes of community, creativity, and connectivity. Known for an approach that tries to encapsulate the wonder and curiosity of childhood, Dillian infuses the collection with a similar sense of humor and levity. An artistic dialogue about growing up unfolded on the runway, taking viewers on a trip down memory lane. Playful designs imagined with a child-like whimsy and an artisan’s hand sauntered across an open-plan house created by cult filmmakers Michel and Olivier Gondry and representing the inevitable transition from boyhood to manhood.
Despite being one of the most anticipated collections of the year, the spotlight was stolen, however, by Spanish star Rosalia, who delivered a heavy-hitting set of flamenco, rap and pop while strutting around the runway and clambering on top of a car. In between her own tunes, Rosalía spotlighted other global artists and vibed to Lebanese artist Ahmad H Music’s viral hit “Basbousa”. As Rosalia serenaded the audience, models rummaged through a Louis Vuitton trunk to unveil packed-away childhood toys, scribbled on the walls, and others played chess and threw darts – a spectacle that has everyone buzzing.
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