The first Louis Vuitton Collection that was not designed by the late designer Virgil Abloh was presented on 23rd of June, 2022 as a final memorial to him.
The Louis Vuitton show held at Cour carrée du Louvre on the 23rd of June, Thursday, in memory of the late designer Virgil Abloh was anything but mourning! An exciting band march, a thrilling procession of athletic flag wavers, Kendrick Lamar’s melodious ode to the designer Virgil Abloh’s everlasting presence- Louis Vuitton team and the people around Virgil definitely gave their all in this last collection!
The Yellow Brick Road
Louis Vuitton displayed its Men’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection. in the courtyard that was transformed into a “giant toy racetrack as a yellow brick road for imagination”. The Yellow Brick Road also displayed large, red, balloon-like structures with the LV logo along with parts of the runway.
Behind it was the concept of play the concept Abloh had once described as “the untainted vision of a child, not yet spoiled by societal programming.” The ‘Free Play’ is where he believed creativity begins and the team ensured they conveyed his feelings and beliefs with this last collection. Abloh was a multi-disciplinarian, and having treaded into DJ-ing, graphic design, furniture design, animation, music, film, museum curation, and more—he knew no boundaries!
If this was to be Louis Vuitton’s final celebration of Abloh and his long-lasting legacy then the brand powers and everyone who worked for Abloh did a spectacular all-round job. Rather, than making it teary and mournful, they livened it up with a collective collection, designed by the people who worked with him, cementing the irrevocable social change that Abloh succeeded in normalizing in the fashion industry.
Performance By Kendrick Lamar
“Long live Virgil … How many miles away?” went the live rap by Lamar at the memorable Louis Vuitton show.
The famous rapper, Kendrick Lamar, was also spotted performing 4 songs as an ode to the American fashion designer in the front seat. During the show, Kendrick Lamar performed songs including “Savior” and “N95,” while interjecting phrases like “Virgil” and “Long live Virgil,” in reference to Louis Vuitton Men’s Creative Director.
The Band March And Procession
A colorfully-dressed marching band and dancing troupe of Florida A&M University appeared noisily at the beginning and end of the show. Marching along The Yellow Road, the troupe also included flag wavers designated with LV flags also joined along.
Amalgamating fashion and performance, the Japanese house Issey Miyake for Homme Plisse presented a troupe of acrobats who contorted, and danced to give us a memorable Paris Fashion Week men’s show. The show was directed by Rachid Ouramdane of the Théâtre National de Chaillot, featuring the acrobats of Compagnie XY.
The Visual Louis Vuitton Spring 2023 Show
The show kicked off with an orchestra and the marching band, followed by a model in a boxy suit jacket in a muted lavender with matching relaxed trousers. The look was completed with some pops of white buttons, white sneakers, a white shirt underneath, and a white trunk.
Models in the same muted mauve tone followed, some sporting calf-length coats while others wore tropical or floral patterns. The color palette later shifted to warmer, brighter tones with various textures, such as furry bucket hats and crochet detailing on hats and sleeves. There were acid-washed denim, tie-dye, and other funky, wavy patterns that appeared on various looks.
The most iconic outfit? Paper planes embroidered all over a black suit as 3-D embroidery could work for that! Also, there were folded ‘paper’ hats reproduced in luxurious white leather. You could also spot a coat decorated with the contents of a toolbox, scissors, and all with zig-zag pinked hems of shirts and jackets linking to kids’ craft kits. The symbolic LV flower was seen hand-crocheted in multicolored wool all up the sleeves of a denim jacket.
This may sound childish but, on the contrary, Abloh’s team pulled out all the stops, proving their knowledge of the luxurious, couture-grade techniques the French Maison is capable of. Further in the show were white leather bomber jackets, a coat with grand molded 18th-century French motifs, a rich array of flower and thistle embroideries and jacquards, and a finale of shimmering sequined metaphorical fields of poppies and wildflowers.
Several other A-listed stars such as Omar Sy, Jessica Biel, Justin Timberlake, Joel Edgerton, and Naomi Campbell further attested to the pull off Virgil Abloh’s legacy.
The Louis Vuitton Spring 2023 Collection
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