Louis Vuitton A/W 2016

Louis Vuitton Menswear Collection 2016 — (Image credit: Jason Lloyd-Evans)

Best in show: Premiered this season was a slick new denim line treated by artisans using a wax and indigo painting technique that originates from Japan, which leaves a crackled finish unique to each garment treated. For the first time the brand applied the treatment to leather too, re-servicing its venerated monogram. Also standout was a fun navy blue silk shirt and matching slim trouser emblazoned with a ribbon font spelling out ‘VOLEZ, VOGUEZ, YOYAGEZ’, which also happens to be the name of the brand’s current Grand Palais exhibition curated by Olivier Saillard, and open until 21 February.

Team work: The artist Shinji Ohmaki recreated his Liminal Air Space-Time installation above the runway at parc André-Citroën. Artistic director Kim Jones first saw the piece at the Hakone Open-Air Museum in 2012 and was immediately drawn to its poetic mood. As associate professor of sculpture at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Ohmaki’s work is centered around the creation of installations that jolt the viewer’s perception of time and space. In this context, the diaphanous fluttering cloth suspended above the models contrasted the rigour of the collection.

Finishing touches: The Art Deco references peppered throughout the collection celebrate the archetypal image of Paris as the centre of culture and male elegance. The dandyish pomp of aristocrat and banker Alexis von Rosenberg – the Baron de Redé – inspired the silver, diamond and crystal necklaces and pins that were attached to black silk neckties.

INFORMATION
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans

London based writer Dal Chodha is editor-in-chief of Archivist Addendum — a publishing project that explores the gap between fashion editorial and academe. He writes for various international titles and journals on fashion, art and culture and is a contributing editor at Wallpaper*. Chodha has been working in academic institutions for more than a decade and is Stage 1 Leader of the BA Fashion Communication and Promotion course at Central Saint Martins. In 2020 he published his first book SHOW NOTES, an original hybrid of journalism, poetry and provocation.