PARIS (AP) — He may have died last November, but Virgil Abloh survived Paris Fashion Week on Thursday (June 23) in a spectacular, high-energy show for menswear from Louis Vuitton. A black brass band gave a rousing performance in a surreal installation of yellow brick roads inside the Louvre, while rapper Kendrick Lamar performed a live ode to the American fashion star who has been Vuitton’s menswear designer since 2018 until his death.
Explore
Explore
See the latest videos, charts and news
See the latest videos, charts and news
Here are some highlights from Thursday’s spring-summer 2023 shows in Paris.
Abloh’s Marching Band
“Long live Virgil… How many miles away?” It was Lamar’s live rap at the sultry Vuitton show. The set recalled the spirit of the Wizard of Oz and childhood obsessions common in Abloh’s designs, as did a colorfully dressed marching band and dance group that appeared at the beginning and end of the show.
This spring-summer show was the first that Abloh had not designed. Instead, it was conceived by the Vuitton studio in its spirit.
Omar Sy, Jessica Biel, Justin Timberlake, Joel Edgerton and Naomi Campbell demonstrated the continuing pull of the designer’s legacy.
Check out the fashion show and Lamar’s performance below:
Vuitton studio show
It is a remarkable feat for a studio to emulate the styles of a previous designer, with originality.
This was the case at Thursday’s: from extravagantly cut shirt hems in zigzag patterns, to 3-D paper airplane appliqués on suits and otherworldly elongated silhouettes.
A finely tailored jacket in trompe l’oeil prints provided one of the many touches of old-school luxury. Such moments in this collection seemed to surpass even Abloh’s own catwalk designs.
They kept a careful line between the playful styles associated with the house since 2018 and the fine luxury tailoring seen during the tenure of their predecessor Kim Jones.
The strength of the display was due to its many design feats. An example of this was the waist of a black double-breasted jacket that had been raised to resemble a V on the side. Its very silhouette evoked the monogram of the house.
Louis Vuitton’s design studio just bucked the trend of too many cooks spoiling the broth.
Death-Defying Fashion at Homme Plisse Issey Miyake
Blurring the line between fashion and performance, the Japanese house of Issey Miyake for Homme Plisse used a troupe of acrobats who contorted, danced and seemingly courted death for a spectacular men’s show at Paris Fashion Week.
In striking hues inspired by flowers and vases, the models mingled with the artists inside the newly renovated La Poste du Louvre for this unusual and sensitive display of fashion design through dance.
From a hidden ledge high above the patio floor, a dance troupe suddenly rose to their feet in the middle of the show to gasps from the audience. Wearing loose-fitting, pastel-colored pleats, the performers descended stairs before performing death-defying jumps, drops and somersaults. The performers were launched through the air like missiles, only to be caught by the dancers on the other side of the courtyard. There was no safety net on the hard stone floor.
The show was directed by Rachid Ouramdane of the Théâtre National de Chaillot, with a collective of acrobats, Compagnie XY.
The fashion itself was bland in comparison. Gradual curves in the neck and stomach emulated vase shapes with a pleasing weight that produced a dynamic silhouette. A pastel red pleated tunic was paired with a short jacket, with chest panels resembling an Asian warrior. Elsewhere, a vivid dandelion vest sported studded pockets that fanned out like a blooming flower.
The color scheme was also a big theme: pastel purple contrasted with blush and black faded in one look, and pastel yellow and midnight blue in another. It was a strong return to the catwalk for Homme Plisse at Issey Miyake.
Ancient Egypt by Rick Owens
American designer Rick Owens turned to the ancient world for inspiration, returning from a stay in Egypt and a visit to the Temple of Edfu on the Nile.
The philosopher Owens often said that his “personal concerns…feel petty in the face of that kind of timelessness.” In recent seasons, he has commented on the impact the pandemic has had on fashion and beyond, embracing lockdown as a moment of introspection.
Owens has always had an aesthetic inspired by Ancient Egyptian attire, with togas, drapes, and priestess styles gracing her runways. But on Thursday’s show he turned up the dial for a very personal take on those silhouettes.
“Laying down on the ground with the Valley of the Kings in view was a perspective I liked,” he said.
Like the long stone carvings in the ancient temple, the silhouettes were lengthened by layering garments to drop the midriff. The dark flared pants were so long that the fabric brushed against the stone steps as the models walked through the Palais de Tokyo. It created a funky surreal effect.
Giant, rounded “extreme shoulders” created this Egyptian priest vibe, crafted by the master of American fashion in silk chiffon, crisp cotton, and garish plaid.
Source: www.billboard.com