From the Chiasmus Archive: January 24th, 2020. "LOUIS VUITTON PRE-FALL 2020 - NEW YORK"

There is an intellectual trend which is slowly gaining momentum on the runways of 2020, shining through as a creative aesthetic, seen from some of the Milan and Paris shows, particularly expressed via the Études Fall 2020 collection; it is the theme of science fiction and its relation to time as a perceptive vision.  So the coming year could herald some fascinating ideas for fashion, which, after a period of sameness with its social/political cues, may actually relax itself and explore the more creative side of the imagination.  2020 could also have the fashion industry experiment with Virtual Reality as the concept of alternate worlds via the simulated Universes of role playing and video games.  Recently creative director Nicolas Ghesquière of Louis Vuitton has designed a “skin” for the character Senna to be used in the immersive online multi-player game League of Legends, titled the 'Prestige Skin', this VR outfit will be available on-line from the actual gaming console from February 4th.  Also included in the release of the animated outfit is a League of Legends Ready-to-Wear collection for Louis Vuitton, which according to their press release will also be available via their website on February the 14th 2020. 

Ghesquière Pre-Fall collection has drawn ideas from the retro science fiction book covers from the 1970s and 1980s and if anyone actually follows my instagram feed will know that from time to time I will post MOODBOARD/s of  various science fiction book cover art works, to which there were so many fantastic artists from the last four decades who set a standard with their incredible skills of creating evocative and lush fantasy art.  All to assist in the selling of what could be deemed pulp [science] fiction books of yesteryear.  And since there is a regaining interest in the retrospection of books, movies and fashion from the 70's and 80's, it correlates with the other trend for 2020, that is of course the thrift and recycled designer styles.  Which have incorporated a dynamism of retro stylization, whilst playing around with type fonts and graphic prints from movies and bands.  Fashion designers have always been able  to set these popular culture looks onto an impressionable aesthetic, that started more or less with the great and now retired Jean Paul Gaultier and his 2001 'Gargoyle print' series.  So no, Venetments was not the forerunner of pop culture aesthetics.  

The Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall collection shows Ghesquière focused and creative knowledge in experimenting with the charm of retro science fiction and horror books covers.  As mentioned one of the recognized runway and looks of 2019, that being the mix and match 80's nostalgic styles, remains in tune with Ghesquière's arcade games, B-grade movies and video shockers.  The theme works so well, as does the clothes, beautifully crafted and set amongst an inspired backdrop of book/movie covers.  Ghesquière has successful created an intensely cool and refined array and as fan of the scifi and fantasy art –  he has been able to reshaped this concpet into a fashionable lookbook shoot.

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(A.Glass 2020)

Spring 2024 review soon.