Nicolas Ghesquière dug through his archives to present an innovative, youthful collection
And lo, Paris Fashion Week has come to an end, as Nicolas Ghesquière presented exactly what he’d been working on for SS19 tonight at the Louvre – here’s everything you need to know.
THE SHOW TOOK PLACE IN TUNNEL
...just like at Balenciaga, Ghesquière’s former house, where Demna Gvasalia took guests on a trip deep inside the workings of a computer system. This time around, though, it was a light, semi-transparent, illuminated promenade that had been erected in the exterior courtyard of Paris’s most famous museum, with its shimmering pools of water at the centre of the space.
THE FROW WAS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE
Self-confessed Louis Vuitton fan girl and Dazed 100-er Peggy Gou flew in from her tour to take her position on the front row, where she rubbed shoulders with the likes of legendary photographer Collier Schorr, Cate Blanchett, Isabelle Huppert, Léa Seydoux, and… Joe Jonas, apparently.
LV SS19 SUBVERTED GENDER LINES
Ghesquière sent some seriously gender neutral looks down the runway tonight, with a number of super-sharp tailored looks seen on androgynous models including Jessica Espinosa and transgender newcomer Krow. Was it menswear? Was it womenswear? ...does it matter? Here. For. It.
GHESQUIÈRE REFERENCED… HIMSELF
The designer had obviously been taking a look through his archives, as a number of styles drew on his earlier Balenciaga collections – notably his SS12 offering, which featured sculpted bonnet-style hats and painterly, geode-inspired prints. This time around, the hats were more stripped back and streamlined, sitting somewhere between 90s-style bucket hat, futuristic milkmaid bonnet, and Ofred from The Handmaid’s Tale.
THE COLLECTION ITSELF WAS A TOTAL DEPARTURE FROM LAST SEASON
Where last season was all about eclectic, clashing, ladylike chic, Louis Vuitton SS19 was younger, sportier, and more streamlined. Oversized, padded jackets bearing geometric motifs were paired with silky running shorts and minis, romantic blouses with flowing sleeves were nipped in with long-line leather waistcoats, and short, asymmetric cocktail dresses featured sketchy, 90s-esque prints. Also on the line-up were pointy mesh boots, LV-branded orb-style bags, and big, angular clutches.
