On the roof of the Maison de l’Unesco, the new Louis Vuitton Men SS25 collection is divided into two different character paradigms: the explorer, or rather, the dandy, and the diplomat. To the notes of Triumphs Cosmos, the show opens with a total black velvet look accessorized with a gem and enamel badge pin determined to cement a globe-trotter sentiment. The silhouettes are imbued with archetypal codes encapsulated in short tailored jackets and flight suit bombers; the diplomat figure fills coats and double-breasted suits with streamlined or flared trousers: every inch of these garments is accentuated by savoir-faire, from the finely woven facets of the fabrics to the microscopic details of the embroidery and buttons. The tracksuits and workwear, particularly refined in construction and cut, revolve around the notion of leisure traveler comfort. All this allows Pharrell Williams and Louis Vuitton to explore multiple subgenres of men’s fashion, into which various layers of meticulously crafted details have been inserted, often semi-hidden at first glance both due to the sheer scale of this spectacle and that instinct towards camouflage. The LV logo is only just visible in relief or embossing on leather or denim, while on t-shirts or crystal embroidery on jackets it reads LV lovers, united since 1854. In one of the final white looks, the shirt and overcoat feature an almost imperceptible embroidered pattern to the naked eye, while the selection of bags, jewelry, shoes, and sunglasses represents a universe unto itself, a multisensory masterclass of craftsmanship. The variety of tailoring techniques takes shape throughout the collection, also thanks to the artistic exchange with Air Afrique, a collective that directed the cinematic prelude to the show and collaborated on logos and motifs to promote the creativity of the Afro-diasporic community.
“I would never dare to think this show could be a reason for people to come together. But to present that notion of peace and to present the possibility in a poetic way, is the only thing that we can do”.
Imagining a perspective from above the Earth, the collection plays with macro and micro visions of color, construction, and deconstruction of the superficial. From a distance, the silhouettes appear muted and monotone while upon closer inspection the savoir-faire manifests as a sensory impact. The effect reflects the idea of skin, seemingly tonal from afar but technically sophisticated up close. The study inspires a palette rendered in the shades of the skin tones of all human beings on the planet, illuminated in the tonal styling of the looks as well as in the second-skin effect garments made of fine silk and colored translucent fabrics.
You are the future. The world is your oyster.
It’s up to you to reinvent it. It’s up to you to reimagine it.
The buttons on the garments and bags become standalone bijoux, marked by miniature world maps, pearls, and crystals. The chain belts feature crystals or tiny Monogram links, while the buckles – some set on rigid braided leather straps – are shaped into metallic logos decorated with floral elements. The black leather of the bags is embossed with contours similar to luggage tags; a Courrier Lozine in plexiglass appears in vibrant red with embossed Monogram, while the trunks created in collaboration with Air Afrique are made in green and blue tartan: inspired by carry bags and presented along the runway aisle on luggage carts, the leather travel line evolves in new colors and in a form inspired by the Maison’s shoe boxes. Sunglasses complete many of the looks, drawing on aviation themes. Always prominent: the hats. Some are cowboy-style, with a palette following the skin tones of the collection, others accessorized with Monogram crystal chains, and still others simply in Damier print. Flesh-colored transparent socks act as a second skin, while velvet gloves draw on espionage codes, softened and made delicate by pearl details and ornaments. Scarves are decorated with world maps, Map-o-Flage. Classic ties and bow ties amplify formal codes alongside a selection of silk bandeaux. A show that hides a profound complexity veiled by apparent simplicity, and that managed to function both as a showcase for a high-end clientele and as a more universal statement on the sense of unity and division, the diasporas in the world, and the need for a multicultural perspective.
“I have a circumference of geniuses around me. Masterful artisans at my fingertips. It humbles me”.
