Louis Vuitton, Cool Clothes for Hip Cats
Written by: Godfrey Deeny
Photos by Gruber-FWD
PARIS, Jan 26, 2002/ FWD/ --- Someone should rename him King of Cool.
Marc Jacobs' experiments with a man's wardrobe took a new spin this season at Louis Vuitton,
as the designer dreamed up the kind of clever, classy clothes in which both an uptown gent and
a downtown artist would feel at home.
No easy feat, believe us.
Like all his collections for Vuitton -- both men and women -- this was held in a modern
glasshouse in Parc Andre Citroen, done up this season with black painted windows, and
Joseph Beuys-style felt invitations and programs.
And the models -- as ever, Marc picks the most handsome in Paris -- had the air of men arriving
at an art gallery to meet a beautiful lover.
Practically every outfit had some great item, whether they be calfskin blousons, elegant
cashmere topcoats, cotton collarless shirts, neatly cut cargo pants, waxed waistcoats or
cashmere-lined cotton cabans.
Marc also sent out future bestseller black monogram camera bags for digital dandies, and a
natty monogram portfolio, also in black, which will be eyed enviously by graphic artists in
search for a home for their mechanicals.
Jacobs' big innovation this season was multi-pocket waistcoats and shearlings, which will spark
a trend copied by many lesser talents.
Staged to some huge blocks of sound by runway music meister Frederic Sanchez, the presentation
was a little too layered at times.
One passage consisted of a cashmere-lined cotton jacket, over blouson, hooded sweatshirt,
collarless shirt and cotton top, which, quite frankly, was little hard to imagine a lot of men
finding the energy to put on.
But this is a minor criticism for a collection that underlined the important fact that Jacobs
is always downtown friendly but just as much at ease uptown.
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