The director’s go-to costume designer, Milena Canonero, outfitted a choir of 200 for the backdrop of the era-hopping show
Stanley Kubrick’s films span a variety of historical periods, from the 18th century in Barry Lyndon to the dystopian near-future of A Clockwork Orange (or basically all time and space, if you count 2001: A Space Odyssey). Appropriate, then, that Louis Vuitton’s AW20 show to close Paris Fashion Week – where the theme was remixing history – had a direct link to the director.
That link was Kubrick’s recurring costume designer, Milena Canonero – known for Barry Lyndon, A Clockwork Orange, and The Shining – who outfitted the 200 characters that occupied a grandstand facing out onto the catwalk.
The costumes these characters wore ranged in style from the 15th century to the 1950s, and they were also responsible for part of the similarly anachronistic soundtrack, singing in the composition by Woodkid and Bryce Dessner.
As for the collection, that too was filled with clashing historical references. “I wanted different eras to be confronted with another one, our own,” says Nicolas Ghesquière in a statement.
This involved biker jackets with baroque detailing and futuristic dresses with metallic ruffles, alongside more familiar fabrics and classic tailoring (though this was also often mixed with informal or functional pieces).
The shoes on offer were similarly eclectic, ranging from shiny, metal-capped heels to hiking boots and (ofc) some chunky trainers, which made the walk down the expansive runway.
“All these cumulative periods are together in the same place,” Ghesquière adds. “In the gallery, there’s the past. On the benches, the present. On the runway, the not-so-distant future…”