Arts & Entertainment

Ode to innocence and imagination on men’s catwalks in Paris

By Maria D. Valderrama

Paris, Jun 23 (EFE).- In search of lost youth, Louis Vuitton and Issey Miyake in Paris on Thursday turned their catwalks into game rooms in which to let imaginations run wild and give rise to colorful and original creations.

Louis Vuitton presented its second consecutive menswear collection without a creative director at the helm since the November death of American Virgil Abloh, 41.

The firm, which has not yet sought a replacement for Abloh, once again paid tribute to the young creator, reviving a fantasy universe and recovering the street trends of the 90s in a proportionate mix of tailoring and urban fashion.

“Long live Virgil,” rapper Kendrick Lamar sang from the front row, next to model Naomi Campbell. In the background was the Florida A&M University band, based in Tallahassee, United States, which opened the show with a march.

There was also a race track for toy cars reproduced by Louis Vuitton in the inner courtyard of the Louvre Palace, which served as the setting for the parade.

The collection, in which greens, lilacs, light blues and yellows reigned, featured uniform-type suits with exaggerated cuts, biker jackets with graphic prints inspired by 1980s music videos and die-cut effect leather pants, laser cut.

To the 90s skater aesthetic that has marked Abloh’s imagination, more romantic, more French garments were added, such as crochet flowers on suit jackets and bomber jackets.

Impressionist prints from French paintings were converted into sequin-embroidered silk and wool coats.

The Louis Vuitton silhouette continued to feature large jackets, with oversize shoulders and a long, flowing cut over very long pleated skirts.

The accessories, such as white hats that imitated paper boats that children make, as well as snow boots in fluorescent colors, and plastic clogs with exaggerated heels in lime green and black, attracted attention.

The brand also introduced fabrics from previous seasons with the aim of improving the use of its fabrics and reducing waste.

Also featuring play, imagination and dance was the collection of Japanese firm Issey Miyake, in its first in-person fashion show since March 2020.

In the new, open-plan headquarters of La Poste, the national postal company, near the Louvre, the house presented a dance performance directed by National Theatre of Chaillot director Rachid Ouramdane.

Ouramdane choreographed jumps, acrobatic turns and a racing game that showed off the versatility of the garments, in the traditional pleats that have made the Japanese brand famous.

Pastels reigned, from gray to sky blue, with hits of brown, yellow and purple, and patterns such as a tunic illustrated with trees over straight pants.

Bermuda shorts were worn with hooded jackets, prepared for summer storms, to dance and be conquered by fashion prepared for the real world. EFE

mdv/tw

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