Thursday June 23, 2011 – Serre du Parc Andre Citroen
A journey, both literal and metaphorical, is at heart of Louis Vuitton’s Spring Summer 2012 collection.
“At its simplest level, it is about the idea of travel and what it means at this point in time,” explain Kim Jones, the Men’s Style Director, who will sign his debut collection for Louis Vuitton under the Artistic Direction of Marc Jacobs. “After all travel forms the foundation of the Vuitton brand. This is a fundamental part of the lineage and language of Louis Vuitton and is a central component of what it stands for today” continues Jones. “At the sane time, the collection is looking at the idea of a personal journey. It forms the notion of a coming-of-age through exploration and travel.”
From the Ivy League to Africa and then to the decadence of a Jet Set nightlife, this “bildungsroman” is inspired by the figure of Peter Beard, the artist and long-term chronicler of East Africa and its wildlife.
“He is a hero of mine”, says Jones of the Artist. “This is a nod to him and a fictionalised imaging of that period of travel to Africa in the sixties and seventies”
From the re-imagining of a preppy athleticism and a reworking of traditional notions of sportswear, such as the rowing vest with the appliqued handkerchief traditional V logo, the iconic Harrington jacket, the club ties, the luxurious knits.
The “Africa” section features an exploration of the iconic Damier check, and is a recurrent motif throughout the rest of the collection. Here the Damier startlingly morphs into the traditional blue and red checks of the Masai, reworked in super fine merino wool blankets and scarves in cashmere and cotton as well as in cashmere blend sweaters and shorts.
In the final “night life” section there is an insouciant play on the traditional dinner suits with a relaxed move from day to night in the tailoring.
This season sees the debut of a number of new, distinctive bag styles including the Champs Elysees quilted rucksacks and week end bags. But at the heart of this season is the new Nomade Leather, softer and revisited in a rich palette of olive green, burgundy and tobacco.
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Photos and Video Stylerumor.com