After a year of stay-at-home mandates, many of us have been fantasizing about a much-needed change of scenery, be it a tropical getaway or a trip to snow-covered mountains. Of course, when exactly we can put our passports to use is yet to be determined, but to all those who are itching for an escape, rest assured: “There’s no need to venture far to create the impression of traveling,” Louis Vuitton said in a press release tied to their Fall 2021 show, which was released this morning on the final day of Paris Fashion Week. “It’s enough to reach far back.”
With Nicholas Ghesquière’s signature forward-thinking eye turned towards the past, the show was staged in the Michelangelo and Daru galleries in the Louvre, where models, such as Danish up-and-comer Mona Tougaard, breezed past Greek and Roman antiquities to the tune of Daft Punk’s “Around the World.” Color and texture were on full display in outerwear of extreme proportions, petal and pistachio-colored tutu-esque skirts, scintillating frocks paired with slouchy wedge-heeled boots, and shiny jersey tops, which had been printed with drawings of ancient statues thanks to a collaboration with Fornasetti.
“As a designer who has always loved fashion’s ability to evoke the past, present and future simultaneously, I wanted to add new layers to this creative palimpsest,” mused Ghesquière, who chose a selection of the Milan-based atelier’s 13,000 fanciful graphics to appear on the season’s gladiator dresses, tailored blazers, and gold statement coats alike. “Exploring the Fornasetti archives had the excitement of an archaeological dig, searching for and finding drawings from the past to give them a new life for Louis Vuitton — for now and the future,” he continued. Soon, an even wider capsule collection will be available. As for what to look forward to? Long-standing Vuitton classics, like the bucket-shaped Cannes and trunk-inspired Petite Malle bags, now with a distinctly Fornasetti twist.
Below, watch Louis Vuitton’s Fall 2021 show.
