The concept that is emphasised in Louis Vuitton’s new summer collection is soft power. A fascinating oxymoron that accompanies the creative director’s journey from day zero, from his entry into a Maison that has made fashion history and whose codes and heritage he found himself having to revisit. His work is once again impeccable, functional, coherent and skilfully measured for a critical but attentive eye, which is fascinated by Ghesquière’s research and recognisable hand. Soft power literally represents delicacy and power, austerity and romanticism, the beautiful and the practical, the unique combination of opposing realities. The collection itself is rooted in the idea of contrast. The movement of the models contrasts with the statuesque static nature of the catwalk, recreated by assembling the brand’s classic trunks. Silky fabrics are defined in draping and softly shaped suits. Overlays peep out in the form of alternating material and colour. Trousers are shortened to the knee and lose their classic set shapes. Midi skirts have flared shapes, and mini skirts refer to geometric aspects. The technical, sportswear-inspired fabric has abstract colours and is worn under voluminous, printed jackets, cinched at the waist. Shoulder silhouettes are maximalist and sharp, recalling those dramatic silhouettes of the 1980s. The prints, on the other hand, are borrowed from the artwork of Laurent Grasso (five paintings from the Studies into the Past series). Contrasts. Symmetries. Textures. All gathered in a défilé that is rich but at the same time ephemeral, present but at the same time vaporous, bohemian but at the same time mechanical. The energy is vibrant and the details are profound. Maxi necklaces reach to the waist. The bags are classic and revisited, but also new and fresh. Soft and structured. In monograms and bright colours. The shoes, on the other hand, follow two distinct series, the first with compact leather bands and the second with fluttering feathers.
The collection thrives on contrast, seemingly generating constant movement. Sartorial soft power can also be a striking back-and-forth between two contradictory yet harmonious opposites. The suppleness of structure. Intractable lightness. Mastering vibrations. Spidery depths. Ethereal opulence. Razor-sharp delicacy. Resolute femininity. The mechanics of fluidity.
Power emerges fully from Ghesquière’s stylistic choices, an incredible attention to centuries-old craftsmanship, a decision to follow cultural and social choices that evolve but remain rooted in pivotal elements. The art of living becomes fashion, becomes narration and the profusion of a soft and harmonious feeling. The energy that emerges is truly vibrant. The depth is extremely fluid. The representation of French fashion is conceived through a fil rouge that links the past to the future, passing through contemporaneity. A sophisticated aesthetic, full of elements that can only be understood by attentive eyes, made up of elements that encapsulate an extraordinary cultural uniqueness. The collection is free of impositions, it is free and young, it is sophisticated and linear. The proposals catalyse the attention of everyone, a work that continues to lean on the trends of the moment while remaining faithful to a very precise personal style and to the canons of a brand that certainly cannot go unnoticed. A clear line drawn between history and innovation, between yesterday and today, between today and tomorrow.
