Louis Vuitton’s miniature symphony is this year’s most enchanting accessory
Louis Vuitton’s ‘LV Symphony’, a series of miniature musical instruments which double as brooches and rings, was awarded ‘Best Orchestral Manoeuvre’ at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2024
This miniature marching band, care of Nicolas Ghesquière at Louis Vuitton, was undoubtedly the season’s most enchanting adornment, his shrunken French horns, flutes and trumpets aptly named the ‘LV Symphony’ (as such, they won the Wallpaper* Design Award for ‘Best Orchestral Maneouvre’, revealed in our February 2024 issue). Alongside the delicately created brooches – which also feature the distinct ‘flowers’ of the house’s monogram – other rings and earrings recall the keys of wood instruments as if waiting to be pressed.
The accessories – which add a surreal flourish to scarves, hats, blouses, fingers or ears – originally appeared in the house’s A/W 2023 show, where Ghesquière said he wanted them to appear as ‘faux-semblants’, or illusions across the time-hopping collection. The fantastical mood extended to the equally intriguing boots, featuring hand-painted trompe l’oeil Mary Janes, and the set which comprised ‘sound illusions’ evocative of a Paris street.
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2024, best orchestral manoeuvre: ‘LV Symphony’ by Louis Vuitton
Created by French artist Philippe Parreno in collaboration with Hollywood set designer James Chinlund and composer Nicolas Becker, enormous spiked speakers were dotted around the Musée d'Orsay space, emitting sounds of clacking heels, beeping horns, or booming aeroplanes flying overhead.
It marked Ghesquière’s second collaboration with the team: the season prior, Parreno created a ‘monster flower’ to provide a surreal, circus-like backdrop for his S/S 2023 show. Speaking to Wallpaper* at the time, Parreno said that the collaboration ‘was a perfect coincidence’.
A version of this article appears in the February 2024 issue of Wallpaper* – dedicated to the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2024 – available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today
‘LV Symphony’ is available from Louis Vuitton’s website and boutiques.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jack Moss is the Fashion Features Editor at Wallpaper*, joining the team in 2022. Having previously been the digital features editor at AnOther and digital editor at 10 and 10 Men magazines, he has also contributed to titles including i-D, Dazed, 10 Magazine, Mr Porter’s The Journal and more, while also featuring in Dazed: 32 Years Confused: The Covers, published by Rizzoli. He is particularly interested in the moments when fashion intersects with other creative disciplines – notably art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and reporting from international fashion weeks. Across his career, he has interviewed the fashion industry’s leading figures, including Rick Owens, Pieter Mulier, Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner, Christian Lacroix, Kate Moss and Manolo Blahnik.
-
Three new coffee makers for a contemporary brew, from a casual cup to a full-on branded espresso
Three new coffee makers, from AeroPress, Jura and Porsche x La Marzocco, range from the defiantly manual to the bells and whistles of a traditional countertop espresso machine
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Don't miss Luxembourg's retro-futuristic lab pavilion in Venice
As the Venice Biennale enters its last few weeks, catch 'A Comparative Dialogue Act' at the Luxembourg Pavilion
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
A Berlin park atop an office building offers a new model of urban landscaping
A Berlin park and office space by Grüntuch Ernst Architeken offer a symbiotic relationship between urban design and green living materials
By Michael Webb Published
-
Louis Vuitton drafts contemporary artists to use the house’s silk ‘carré’ scarf as a colourful canvas
In a tradition which dates back to the 1980s, Louis Vuitton has asked five artists to reimagine its silk carré scarf using floral motifs
By Jack Moss Published
-
For A/W 2024, the working uniform gets a futuristic spin
Sculpted silhouettes, unexpected textures and plays on classic outerwear meet in the A/W 2024 collections, providing a twisted new take on city dressing
By Jack Moss Published
-
The breathtaking runway sets of S/S 2025, from beanbag animals to a twisted living room
Wallpaper* picks the best runway sets and show spaces of fashion month, which featured Bottega Veneta’s beanbag menagerie, opulence at Saint Laurent, and artist collaborations at Acne Studios and Burberry
By Jack Moss Published
-
The A/W 2024 menswear collections were defined by a ‘new flamboyance’
Sleek and streamlined ensembles imbued with a sense of performance take centre stage in ‘Quiet on Set’, a portfolio of the A/W 2024 menswear collections photographed by Matthieu Delbreuve
By Jack Moss Published
-
Colourful luggage to brighten up your summer
Eschew grey, navy and black for vibrantly hued luggage that will stand out on the airport belt and add colour to summertime escapes
By Jack Moss Published
-
Women’s Fashion Week S/S 2025: what to expect
Next week sees the arrival of Women’s Fashion Week S/S 2025, with stops in New York, London, Milan and Paris. Here, our comprehensive guide to the month, from Alaïa’s arrival in New York to Alessandro Michele’s Valentino debut
By Jack Moss Last updated
-
‘Things are not what they seem’: Unpacking the S/S 2025 menswear shows
Wallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss explores the trends and takeaways from this season’s menswear shows, from an embrace of ‘irrational clothing’ to couture-level craft and eclectic new takes on tailoring
By Jack Moss Published
-
Paris Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2025: Loewe to Dries Van Noten
Wallpaper* picks the best moments of Paris Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2025, from ‘hypnotic precision’ at Loewe to Dries Van Noten’s final show, as well as the latest outings from Pharrell Williams, Kim Jones and Grace Wales Bonner
By Jack Moss Last updated