We were losing hope for fashion week in Paris, and another round of virtual catwalks was in store. However, France lightened up coronavirus restrictions days before Paris Fashion Week Menswear was to begin. This year Paris Fashion Week 17 designers including Loewe, Rick Owens and Dior Homme are scheduled to stage in-person shows during the Autumn-Winter 2022 menswear week along with Louis Vuitton. The remaining 52 labels will show using a mixture of digital streams and physical presentations.
It will be Louis Vuitton’s first Paris Fashion Week without its director of menswear Virgil Abloh. He died in November of 2021 after a private battle with cancer. Last year, Louis Vuitton honored Abloh with a final show in Miami. Thursday at the Carreau du Temple in Paris on January 20th LV presented his final collection.
“Humour is an entry point for humanity.” – Virgil Abloh
This quote from the late Virgil Abloh teases with another highly anticipated show that is set to be festooned with whimsy and genius. Themed the infinite field, the cinematic prelude of the show suggests a metaphysical space of possibility. It is a mind-expanding interior of ideas that opens a door to the runway. The collection will see new leather goods and silhouettes as he reimagines familiar objects from the Maison’s archives. One of the many exciting new pieces includes a transparent new Keepall that featured a checkerboard motif comprising Monogram squares. There’s also the iconic trunk that seems to be taking on a surrealistic approach, looking like a masterpiece of Salvador Dali.
Without further a do, here is the Men’s Fall-Winter 2022 Fashion Show!
The Takeaways on Louis Vuitton’s FW 22
Angelic cues came in the form of models decked in white ensembles, many adorned with sculptural lacewings or veils reminiscent of a wedding dress. Crystals fell down sheer white fabrics hanging from leather monogram-embossed five-panel caps. This concept of subverted luxury, which is something Abloh was renowned.
Light blue silk two-piece suits were accented with utilitarian hardware and a bag-belt accessory around the waist. Also the tracksuits have never looked more tailored in their petrol blue velvet construction. In the bag department we saw the LV Keepall cut out into an abstract art object, a backpack in grey embossed leather with LV floral motifs placed on it like a rock climbing wall. All of this was happening as models danced, moved, twisted, and altered their bodies around the room, echoing themes from Abloh’s previous shows.
Other nods to the past included skirts, billowing with pleats, and this time around served up in more colorful shades rather than gray. Fur coats also appeared, as did several vivid sunglasses joining furry LV Keepalls, leather varsity jackets, boiler suits, floor-length draping coattails, and much more.
The collection didn’t seem to offer anything groundbreakingly new because that wasn’t the point. Instead, it highlighted plenty of what Abloh did at Louis Vuitton. It felt like the clothes weren’t center stage, which became increasingly apparent as the orchestra performed a rendition of Tyler. The Creator. Kali Uchis’ “See You Again” welcomed the Maison’s staff onto the stage before the show ended with a standing ovation.
Virgil Abloh’s final Louis Vuitton Men’s collection was nothing other but a success!
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