Mood board: On an agonisingly hot day in Paris – the warmest the city has ever been in a century we were told – men’s artistic director of Louis Vuitton, Kim Jones sent out an energetic collection inspired by the luxurious pursuit of island-hopping. Referring to the German author Judith Schalansky’s 2009 Atlas of Remote Islands: Fifty Islands I Have Not Visited and Never Will, Jones – a well seasoned traveller himself, was amused that he had been to most of the places it listed. His S/S 2018 collection is entitled ‘Archipelago’ and took on a bricolage, land to sand to street look that embodied the very essence of moving from place to place. At the show, the musician Drake premiered a song called Signs that was inspired by the collection.
Best in show: Vuitton, as is well documented, has its heritage in travel and so the sense of voyage is more extreme for the coming season. Imagine a trunk rolling through sand and being taken off small boats, jumping from surf to sand. The island state of Hawaii was a major source of inspiration, its signature short-sleeve floral shirts were overlaid with matching print organza and intarsia knits of exotic foliage worn layered. The collection is full of hybrids and juxtapositions, built around combining different elements from myriad places. Plus windsurfing! Climbing! Trekking! And hiking! Tailoring is presented in two shades of mohair, split down the centre. Other looks contrasted surf leggings and scuba tops with suiting and a new graphic logo treatment of the Louis Vuitton logo in a 90s surf wear style.
Finishing touches: Sportswear and sports inspired clothing has been a staple of menswear for some time, arguably a hangover from Jones’ influential eponymous line that he showed between 2003-2008. Debuting for S/S 2018 is a new technical line of clothing called ‘Monogram Outdoor’, which mixes canvas with sports webbing, scuba zips, cording and hardware.
-
Curtains up, Kid Harpoon rethinks the sound of Broadway production ‘Art’He’s crafted hits with Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus; now songwriter and producer Kid Harpoon (aka Tom Hull) tells us about composing the music for the new, all-star Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s play ‘Art’
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekHere in the UK, summer seems to be fading fast. Moody skies and showers called for early-autumn rituals for the Wallpaper* team: retreating into the depths of the Tate Modern, slipping into shadowy cocktail bars, and curling up with a good book
-
To celebrate 50 years in business, Giorgio Armani is opening up his extraordinary archive to everybodyLaunched at the Venice Film Festival, Armani/Archivio is a digital archive charting 50 years of Giorgio Armani through the house’s most memorable designs
-
Haute Couture Week A/W 2025: what to expectFive moments to look out for at Haute Couture Week A/W 2025 in Paris (starting Monday 7 July), from Glenn Martens’ debut for Maison Margiela to Demna’s Balenciaga swansong. Plus, ‘new beginnings’ from JW Anderson
-
Donna Trope celebrates the power of the Polaroid in Paris‘Polaroids used to be my rejects, and now they are my holy grail,’ says the beauty photographer, as she shows rarely seen images in a Paris exhibition
-
Inside Louis Vuitton’s Murakami London pop-up, a colourful cartoon wonderland with one-of-a-kind caféWallpaper* takes a tour of the Louis Vuitton x Murakami pop-up in London’s Soho, which celebrates the launch of a new ‘re-edition’ accessories collection spanning the greatest hits from the Japanese artist’s long-running collaboration with the house
-
Palace unites with Rapha to celebrate inaugural Tour de France FemmesMarking the first time women will compete in the historic cycling race since the late 1980s, this new collaboration sees Palace Skateboards and Rapha create uniforms for both on and off the bike – including an ‘outlandish’ pair of Crocs
-
Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022: Chanel to Miu MiuIn this extended report, Wallpaper* updates you live from Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as runway events unfold
-
Scene-stealing runway sets from A/W 2022 menswear showsA Kubrickian space odyssey at Prada; a recreation of the Pont Alexandre III in Paris at Dior; and colourful, artist-created flags at Loewe: explore the best runway sets from the A/W 2022 menswear shows
-
Paris Fashion Week Men’s A/W 2022: Louis Vuitton to Loewe, Dior to HermèsIn this extended report, Laura Hawkins reveals 9 highlights from Paris Fashion Week Men's A/W 2022. Including: Virgil Abloh's final collection for Louis Vuitton; Rick Owen's riff on sleaze; elfin-inspired accessories; and a celebration of slouch and surrealism
-
Louis Vuitton pays tribute to Virgil Abloh in MiamiThe French luxury maison – of which the late Virgil Abloh was men’s artistic director until his passing on Sunday 28 November 2021 – held a show in Miami in tribute to the creative innovator, titled ‘Virgil was Here’
