from the chiasmus archive: May 09, 2019. "LOUIS VUITTON. RESORT 2020 – NEW YORK FASHION WEEK"

For Resort 2020 Louis Vuitton casts its conglomerate shadow over the historic and iconic Trans World Flight Center at Kennedy International airport designed by the Finish/American architect Eero Saarinen (d1961).  The structure of late has since been renamed Terminal 5 and in 2016 it was bought by a consortium of the airliner Jetblue and a hotel developer to redevelop the (architecturally protected site) into a grand Hotel.  To be completed in the later part of 2019.  The building to this day is still a testament to Saarinen's 1960s neo-futurist building style to which he and fellow architect Buckminster Fuller  projected with earnest throughout the 1960s and 1970s.  

Creative director Nicolas Ghesquière of Louis Vuitton pronounced his intention to show a homage to the historic timepiece of the future that never was, such is the transmission of architectural idealism that was born of neo-futuristic styles.  Yet, the Ghesquière collection reflects a seriousness and files neatly into the tone of neo-futurism design, particularity when it morphed into the early 1980s.  This is fashion, as noted over the last five years, moving back and forth between past time-lines, trying to source a fixed trend for the tail end of 2019 or more so 2020 (the future) as buyers look to attain next year's pre-spring Resort collections for the various department stores. This transversing and looking over idealistic images of design, like neo-futurism, hasn't really gained momentum as much as the current trend of reworked 1970s and 1980s mini-skirts, blazers, high-shoulder pads – which was a play on the resonance (and ironically the romanticism) of sex and hedonism that the 80's offered.  Somewhat needed as a contemporary trend, to offset the misjudged chasing of markets in their assumption that digital 'sensibility' via social media re-loops were on the money.  In which they clearly weren't.  So, the fashion industry is scrambling in all directions to source and reconfigure styles of yesteryear as marketable trends for the future.  Which is fine, we look for influences from all perspectives.  But trolling over the ghosts of the past, can be at the expense of the now.  And if innovation is a cue for progression, one should not take that for granted. 

As mentioned the 1960s futurist styles, in respect to the late architect's vision of the future designed now, will be renamed back again as the Trans World Flight Center or TWA, is masterfully portrayed by Ghesquière.  But as a Resort collection it plays out more like a Fall array rather than a prelude into a Spring ensemble. This is an issue designers will have in utilizing the 1960s futurist/modenist styles, as they were rigid in application.  There was an intensity within its depictions, but durable in concept particularly for costume design, to which the TWA as a structure has been used numinous times by Hollywood as a set piece for their movies.  Now with Netflix and Amazon Prime slowly dismantling the famed studio's power base. Designers, particularly newer ones starting out, should consider implementing costume design or at least experiment with a dual option with their creations.

Silks and Taffeta blends, fine wools with Vuitton's Jacquard's embellishments. The conceptualized color scheme is of the modernist spectrum, a mix of dulled yellows with complimentary colors such as blue green and red. Striking against black, with silk overlays and layered styles maintaining the overall projection of the collection. Miniskirts, mid length and thigh thigh splits, Ghesquière's 1980s sex appeal effectively softens the modernist/futurist concepts for the Louis Vuitton 2020 collection. The pattern work is incredibly impressive, laser cut precision which is fitted extremely well on the models – as you would expect for a high end show such as this. 

A focused and intense collection, probably an expectation of Louis Vuitton Fall 2020 shows, which in retrospection maybe delivering the neo-futurists/modernist influences as a newer trend moving into 2020. 

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A.Glass 2019