The Fashion Plate Magazine

By: Roman Kozak

The spring has ended and we are breathing in the summer! Are you ready? The Maison Louis Vuitton has already presented its 2017 cruise collection in Rio de Janeiro. It was a great experience to watch the show on a cool tropical evening. The beginning of the fashion show reminded me of the old French movie starring Louis de Funès when the gendarmes met the aliens. Maybe this was due to the contemporary style of the museum in which the show took place, coupled with the otherworldly sound effects…

The creative director of Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquière, was inspired by the Brazilian style of tropical living and decided to mix it with a touch of the French lifestyle in this collection. The Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum, designed and constructed by architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1996, was selected by Ghesquière with the aim of portraying contemporary Brazil and its paradox of ‘civilization versus nature’.

“In Rio de Janeiro, what I saw most of all was movement and an explosive energy that lives somewhere between modernism and tropicality.” – Nicolas Ghesquière

There were two looks which emphasized the woman’s beautiful figure. First was the opening look from the show which described the larger theme of the collection. It reminded me of the swimwear worn by divers by way of its material and black-blue-red coloring. The attached jacket in an asymmetrical shape, unbuttoned with its stripes waving in the wind gave it a relaxed character.

While this was a reoccurring theme in most of the pieces, another look struck me as interesting.  I imagined it would be worn by a more conservative woman ready to embark on a cruise. On her even the informal look of the unbuttoned jacket would appear discreet and elegant.

For this look there were no contrasts, only a concise form and a restrained color palette of black and gray. The shapes of these costumes, for example how the shirt in the second look with its big pockets peeked out from under the jacket, show where the concept of “nature vs civilization” started—originally meant for a conservative woman, this geometrical play on shapes show a wilder side to her.

Another model wore an elegant crop-top paired with a rouge silver necklace, exemplifying yet again how in the end, the two aspects met face to face.

This fashion season I noticed that the theme of “agender” appeared often in many shows. In this one I saw girls who resembled boys, not just in their appearance but also even in their way of walking. I thought this really corresponds to the reality of today – a woman can wear her boyfriend’s shirt, while a man can sport her cardigan!

This trend of agender clothing was seen on the Louis Vuitton runway. I saw one ensemble that I believed a contemporary woman would wear in the evening for a walk by the wharf… My eyes traveled down to her legs, and what did I see? No, not a skirt, but male swim shorts!

This lady broke the rules! At any time she could take off her top and jump into the sea! She was a paradox –you never knew what she would do…

This all reminded me that when we go on holiday we should look for adventure. So don’t be afraid. Meet this Louis Vuitton woman on vacation and feel free to combine unconventional looks like she did. Go “avant”!
(fr : “forward”!)