“What is French style?” opens the Louis Vuitton autumn/winter 2023 womenswear collection notes. It’s a curious question to ask, especially given the nature of the behemoth that is Louis Vuitton—pretty much the most famous of French fashion exports and a name that’s immediately synonymous with the country and fashion.
Artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière is set to mark his tenth year at Louis Vuitton in November. He’s known for his constant exploration of the past, present and future through rather over-the-top silhouettes; the autumn/winter 2023 womenswear collection, however, was probably his most grounded yet. Perhaps Ghesquière was feeling a bit more contemplative given his upcoming milestone at Louis Vuitton, and opted for an aesthetic reset in some ways (quite a common theme among luxury brands of late).
Yet, while the forms and shapes weren’t as big or avant-garde as usual, the details were nothing to dismiss.
Tailoring was key for Louis Vuitton’s autumn/winter 2023 womenswear collection—and by default, the wardrobe of a stylish French woman. Suits were hardly typical with the first few renditions composed of beautiful pleating and gathering such that they resulted in slightly voluminous frames. There was a shirt dress (look 11) with slightly skewed proportions and deconstructed elements, as well as all manner of menswear tailoring broken up into parts and seemingly reassembled together with more feminine pieces the likes of slip dresses and harem-like trousers.
There was, in every nuance of the term, a certain je ne sais quoi.
Nods to the Trilcolore—the French flag—were reimagined as accessories towards the end of the line-up. They were best represented as the quilted Louis Vuitton GO-14 bags in a range of variations, but the biker gloves were no slouches either, a styling choice that’s very much Ghesquière through and through.
The kitschy creations too deserve special mention. There was a trunk-like bag fashioned to resemble arched roadsigns fixed on buildings that one would see around Paris, as well as an impressive mini-sized Louis Vuitton boutique (I’m quite certain it’s the Maison Vendôme one) complete with chimneys. Stunning.
It’d be remiss of me to not mention the sci-fi-looking masks too. Some reviews refer to them as a nod to opera. But for me, they seem to be a metaphor for a very French attitude: pourquoi pas. Why not wear lit-up masks? Why not wear negligee-like dresses out under blazers? Why not appropriate traditional menswear codes for women?
Because really, why the hell not?
View the full Louis Vuitton autumn/winter 2023 womenswear collection in the gallery below.
