For most people, the Louis Vuitton brand name immediately conjures up images of those infamous, and often copied, interlocking L and V letters. But in fact, its little logo sister, the Damier canvas, celebrates a proud 125 years of iconography this year.
The first ever patented invention by the house of Vuitton, this discretely brown and beige checkered design has literally proven to stand
Since then, it has undergone several colour palette changes, but nonetheless is a universally recognisable trademark of the French design house. For this anniversary, the Damier has been given a neon-hued and athletically shaped makeover. Further proof that a luxurious classic never goes out of style.
In Part I, we covered what the one and only C trio (Chanel, Christian Dior, Comme Des Garcons) churned out, but from Haider Ackermann’s dreamy midnight-coloured collection to Marc Jacob’s retro mania, Paris Fashion Week still had a wide array of other intriguing collections to take in. Read on for Twin’s final list of favourites this S/S 13 season…
Stella McCartney
Considering the fact that she has collaborated with the likes of Adidas, no one does sporty quite like Stella. Energetic bursts of neon orange peaked out underneath a sheer silk sweatshirt whilst black and white printed strapless jumpsuits and oversized shirt-dresses were given an easygoing slouch thanks to a dropped waistline, all topped off with surprisingly wearable Lucite platforms. McCartney described the collection as “a conversation between a man and a woman” and thanks to the relaxed and loose-fitting silhouettes, there was something there for the elegant tomboy in every one of us.
Haider Ackermann
This S/S 13 season, man of the moment Haider Ackermann gave us something to dream about. Sheer silk and lace were wrapped around the body with the designer’s trademark fluid draping, in nighttime sky colours of ivory, midnight blue, black and a shimmering dark grey. A first was the use of geometric prints and polka dots, but even these rather atypical elements were melded into the harmonious collection. It’s safe to say that there are countless more breathtakingly beautiful collections like this one to come on Ackermann’s horizon.
Balenciaga
After an eighties, sci-fi flashback, this season saw a more formal Balenciaga woman come to the forefront. Nicolas Ghesquière may have constrained his colour palette to mostly black, white, nude, and charcoal colours but thanks to ruffled thigh-high cuts and plenty of upper midriff exposure, the sex appeal was as much there as ever. From the first pair of front-pleated, high waisted trousers to the last coated guipure lace dress, it was a testament to the fact that even without the futuristic drama, Ghesquière is more than capable of getting, and keeping, our attention.
Louis Vuitton
Marc Jacobs has become the designer of Paris you can count on for a complete fashion 180, and this season was no exception. In an ode to Diane Arbus, Marc Jacobs sent his Sixties styled models in pairs of two down the escalator and runway, matched up in Vuitton’s signature damier print. The silhouettes were streamlined, the hemlines decade-appropriately short and the fit body skimming. The main inspiration of the collection may have been from another era, but Jacobs managed to successfully reincarnate the look for 2013.
For their ready-to-wear A/W 2012 show, Louis Vuitton brought Belle Époque glamour to the catwalk. As models descended the Louis Vuitton Express they evoked the golden age of the steam train when luggage was an affair to remember. Flash forward a few months and leaping into the present day, the luxury brand asked Todd Selby to take a journey across continents in 12 days, starting in Paris and finishing in Shanghai, with his trusty monogramed LV holdall in tow.
Keeping busy with his sketch pad and camera, he created a visual diary of his trip. Twin spoke to video producer Laura Holmes who went along with him for the ride…
How did you become involved in the Art of Travel project?
Katie Grand introduced me to Faye Mcleod, head of visual at Louis Vuitton to produce the project.
What was the experience like?
Incredible, a once in a lifetime opportunity. From the train window we saw Central Berlin, rural Poland, suburban Belarus, Russian countryside, soldiers in Siberia, camels in the Gobi Desert and the Great Wall of China. We slept and ate three meals a day on the train filming from sunrise until sunset.
What does Louis Vuitton represent to you?
Luxury travel.
What did you enjoy about working with Todd?
His train work-out.
What are you working on next?
A film for New York fashion brand Maiyet shooting in Kenya with feature film director Cary Fukunaga.
At first glance, Yayoi Kusama and the house of Louis Vuitton may not seem like the most harmonious couple. One is an eccentric artist known for her psychedelic installations, the other is a luxurious and world-renowned label under the multi-billion pound LVMH helm. However, just like in one of the Japanes artist’s polka dot paintings, there is more than meets the eye.
Both Kusama and Vuitton embody the idea of plunging oneself headfirst into an artistic vision. As much as the flame red-haired Kusama is an artwork in her own right, the house of Louis Vuitton, under the guidance of Marc Jacobs, has made train journey and carousel ride runway shows a continuously extraordinary event of the Ready To Wear season, year in, year out.
This month sees the release of the duo’s range of clothing, accessories and footwear, all covered in Kusama’s signature polka dot prints, coinciding with the opening of the artist’s exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. On August 24, Kusama’s designs for the house will also take over London department store Selfridges with a 24-window display showcasing the new collection, as well as the transformation of the Concept Store inside, thanks to the artist’s signature giant pumpkins. The idea of fashion being art may seem like a tired cliche, but Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton prove there is still a lot of exciting invigoration to bring to the table.
“Necessity is the mother of all invention” So goes the saying, and so it was that in 1858, trunk packer Louis Vuitton innovated a stackable luggage trunk to ease transportation of the prodigious wardrobes of travelling madamset mademoiselles. In doing so, the wheels were set in motion for a brand now estimated to be worth over $19 billion.
Those wheels are turning faster than ever over a century later, under the skilled tutorship of Marc Jacobs. The brand and its designer, whose signature sense of irreverence and fun has seen models arrive on the catwalk via a full-size carousel and most recently, a moving locomotive engine – complete with steam – are now the subject of a new exhibition: Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacobs.
Two floors of the Louvre’s Musee des Arts Decoratifs, have been dedicated to exhibiting the French luggage icon and its Artistic Director since 2007. “Marc always starts with the bag”, says curator Pamela Golbin of Jacobs’ approach to each collection, and all 53 bags he has designed for LV are among the exhibits – which include those original
trunks – displayed in a larger-than-life “chocolate box”.
His exceptional brand vision is behind such successful collaborations as those with artists Stephen Sprouse in 2001 and Takashi Murakami in 2003 – the resulting bags creating waiting lists that took the idea of an ‘it’ bag to a whole new level.
If you find yourself in Paris between now and September and have more than a passing interest in art or fashion, don’t miss it.
Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs is at Musee des Arts Decoratifs until 16 september 2012. The official book of the exhibition by curator, Pamela Golbin, is published by Rizzoli in April.
As part of the Louis Vuitton Young Arts Project, the French fashion house has launched REcreative, an online community for the young, lean and art hungry. Careers advice for the digital age, it’s a gold mine of advice and an opportunity for creative minds to gain an insight into the lives of leading artists, curators and designers.
Interviews online already include Tracey Emin discussing her Hayward Gallery show, Love is What You Want and Dazed and Confused founder Jefferson Hack on how to establish your own magazine and voice. REcreative users can also upload their own work and have it seen by those at the top of their creative tree. Developed by Louis Vuitton in collaboration with London’s leading art institutions: the Hayward Gallery, the Royal Academy of Arts, the South London Gallery, Tate Britain and the Whitechapel Gallery, REcreative is set to put the wheels of a whole new generation on the right creative track. Spread the word.
Photographer Mari Sarai captures the rebellious mood of Louis Vuitton’s leather and lace collection.
Film shot and edited by Natalie Spitzer
Music: Gotan Project – El Capitalismo Foraneo
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