Louis Vuitton: 'The Boys of Summer'
By Timothy Hagy
(Photo by IndigitalTV)
PARIS, Jun 29, 2003/ FW/ --- A cynic might say that a company like Louis Vuitton, one which earns an
overwhelming percentage of its profit from the sale of leather goods, might
be masquerading in even showing a men's line.
Marc Jacobs even played into
that theory several seasons back by signing a series of collections that
could best be described, or decried, as flat verging on uninspired.
But all that has recently changed, and most especially for Spring / Summer
2004 with the strong show Jacobs sent out for the venerable label Saturday
evening at the Parc André Citroën.
The airy complex on the outskirts of
Paris lies nestled against a rising skyline of insurance and banking
institutions.
Well, Vuitton is certainly good insurance for LVMH, even in
the present difficult times.
The look this season, and the title of the collection was the 'The Boys of Summer', a spirit that showed in multiple
uses of shorts, even paired with an elegant linen evening suit.
Youthfulness threaded its way through the collection in a sport's theme,
where safari vests were transformed into hip tennis jackets that looked
ready for the courts of the Hamptons.
As an accessory, why not take along a
customized Louis Vuitton tennis sack with lots of room for a racket?
Leather, of course, was a strongpoint, as in a splendid trench cut with wide
shoulders, and yet tapered at the waist to form a thin silhouette.
Then there were oodles of absolutely awesome jackets.
To add a bit of zest, beautiful faded pastels in raspberry, lemon and
blueberry, colored so lightly as to resemble a frosty sorbet, found their
way into the palette.
It was a strong collection both artistically and commercially.
With the creative turn Marc has taken of late, it is no wonder that the very
mention of his name brings a wide smile to Bernard Arnault's face.
|
