Fashion Blog: Retro is the future at Louis Vuitton

Fashion Week


Fashion Blog: Retro is the future at Louis Vuitton

By Stylist Team

11 years ago

Nicolas Ghesquière took key elements of the 60s and 70s on a future trip for Louis Vuitton this morning.

Stylist's Executive Fashion Editor Kitty McGee, Shopping Editor Lucy Reber and Acting Fashion Director Sorrel Kinder are reporting on the SS15 trends at Paris Fashion Week.

LOUIS VUITTON

Louis Vuitton took us off to space this morning at the aptly futuristic new Frank Gehry-designed Louis Vuitton Foundation building.

Prints of everyday items, including hair dyers, cameras and cars featured on the clothes like they were precious objects. The calf-length, wide-legged trouser we have seen so much of on the circuit made an appearance at the show, which had a distinctly 70s theme - another staple across the fashion weeks.

Sequinned mini dress and tunics were very mini, giving a slight 60s feel, especially when paired with knee-high boots.There was a mix of light and heavy fabrics, with velvet patterned matching trousers and jackets, but also gorgeous wispy short summer dresses.

ON THE FROW

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

With a palette of black, white and pink, with hints of silver, Sarah Burton's collection had a strong Asian feel, something we have seen throughout fashion weeks.

She used many classic McQueen silhouettes, including the open kimono sleeve and sent models out in incredible gladiator sandals with sculpted heel-less heels. The beautiful open masks give it a strong, slightly warrior feel.

CHANEL

Gisele Bundchen and Cara Delevingne led Karl Lagerfeld's feminist army at Chanel this morning and revolution was firmly in the air on a makeshift Chanel boulevard in the Grand Palais.

Caroline de Maigret, Edie Campbell, Georgia May Jagger, Kendall Jenner and Joan Smalls also walked in a collection full of monochrome, metallics and graphic details in front of guests including Alexa Chung and Poppy Delevingne.

Supers in tweed suits, colourful ties and mini briefcases brandished pro women's rights banners declaring ‘History Is Her Story’ and 'Make Fashion, Not War' in a highly-charged - and fabulously dressed - protest rally.

The girls travelled down Boulevard Chanel in groups to showcase the collection and for the finale we saw the full roster of girls group together for a staged riot promoting feminism, freedom and fashion.

We saw the classic Breton stripe reworked in the form of deep-pocket cardigans and matching boots, while glistening brogues and psychedelic summer boots were other footwear favourites.

Along with monochrome, wide-leg trousers - stars at many of the the SS15 shows - were firmly in evidence again, as were bright, blown-out floral prints.

ON THE FROW

CLOSE-UP

MONDAY HIGHLIGHTS

Four things we learnt in Paris today...

1. Rainbow Flats Rule

We stopped off for an appointment with Longchamp, a brand that's the epitome of insouciant Parisian chic. What especially caught our eye were there trainers, espadrilles and ballet pumps in every colour of the rainbows... We'll take the blue, yellow, pink...

2. Say it with a sweater

Paris has been a dream city to visit in the balmy end days of summer. We think this slogan sweater by Être Cecile sums the trip up pretty well... C'est Magnifique

3. It's OKAY to eat your dinner in bed

At least it is from super cool Parisian restaurant Derrière. Not only do they do the best roast chicken in town, but their decorating style incorporates a double bed as seating. The chocolate mouse is pretty good too.

4. Wide Trousers Win

After Stella McCartney's beautiful show this morning there is no doubt in our minds that wide is the trouser shape we will all be wearing come summer. Be it cropped, full length or as a jumpsuit, it's the shape of the moment. Also seen at Kenzo and Acne Studios.

L-R: Acne Studios, Kenzo, Stella McCartney

WHAT WE'RE WEARING:

That beautiful view...

STELLA MCCARTNEY

We saw effortless utility chic at Stella McCartney this morning; Cara Delevingne, Joan Smalls, Edie Campbell, Malaika Firth, Sam Rollinson and Binx Walton wore dresses and separates with applique and ruffle details.‎ Fluid shapes in delicate fabrics, billowing silk dresses in soft summery pastels and check prints‎ on loose tailoring all swept down the runway in the majestic Opera Garnier venue.

Wide leg trousers, sailor trousers and culottes in white, cream and denim were present, as was Stella's signature chunky knitwear. The knits were bold and came in soft camel and washed-out navy with asymmetric hems, accessorised with oversized necklaces.‎ Cut-out semi-circles, buckle details and butterfly motifs were also key details.

VIEW FROM THE FROW:

VIP GUESTS

Anna Wintour, Coco Rocha and Bar Refaeli

Salma Hayek, Neneh Cherry and daughter Mabel Cherry

CHLOE

Claire Wright Keller's Chloe girl from today's show was luxe, relaxed, cool. A definite late 60s and 70s vibe was evident throughout the collection with diaphanous chiffon dresses, suede play suits and denim shirt dresses all key.

Hair was undone and faces glowingly bare, as the girls walked in knee-high gladiator sandals to a soundtrack of Portishead.

Our favourite looks from the collection? The opening dresses of embroidered white lace dresses harking back to the summer of love. With the original rock chic Marianne Faithfull sitting front row the show's inspiration was clear.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

Mini Me:

The best dressed kids will be wearing shrunken versions of our absolute favourite Kitty slippers, as seen at Charlotte Olympia:

Dorothy slippers

And for the grown-ups - a fairytale shoe from Tabitha Simmons:

Paris when it sizzles:

The fashion pack have a sartorial dilemma at the shows this week - despite being the end of September the weather is hot hot hot and everyone is sweltering away in their new season purchases.

The chic new way to wear shirts:

Saving everyone from the Parisian heat is the shirting solutions. Crisp cotton and silk look chic while keeping cool in the heat and we are all wearing them. We attended Neil Barrett's SS15 presentation and were thrilled to see the shirt reworked. Floor length, outsized shirt dresses were shown alongside skirts with a shirt tail trim.

KENZO

Kenzo chose a new skate park north of Paris as the venue for their show this season. Huge digital screens showed an avatar-style women greeting guests with the following welcome message: "Welcome to Kenzo ss15, the show is about to begin. Kenzo would like to remind you that there is no Planet B, protect what is precious."

The show was a mash-up of technical fabrics from mesh to neoprene‎ with lots of texture, giving the collection a strong, unifying sporty/futuristic feel. The key length was an elongated midi - culottes, dresses and skirts finished between the knees and ankles. The colour palette incorporated white, black, navy, blues and pinks, and extended to the handbags and kitten-heeled pointed mules too.‎

SUNDAY: WHAT WE'RE WEARING:

SATURDAY

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD GOLD LABEL

The Vivienne Westwood show opened with sinister string music playing amid a cacophony of thunderous crashing and murderous cackles. In the spookily austere (with the right lighting) setting of the ornate ball room in The Westin hotel.

As guests filtered in, a countdown of the top 10 deadliest animals, from the stingray to the black mamba, played in the background.

Then out came the models, with their make-up exaggeratedly doll-like; drawn-on freckles (something we also saw at Preen), glittering rosy cheeks and the occasional pencilled-in monobrow.

The clothes played into this nightmarish fairy tale theme. Regency-style jackets, bodices, ruffles, blown-out gingham and draped tartan fabrics that we expect from Westwood were all in evidence. Garments were undone and layered in a rustic, country style.

Victoria dress coats, utilitarian shirting in lime green, loose mannish tailoring and strapless taffeta gowns were teamed with layered, collaged jersey and knitted tops with stockings, Mary-Janes and clogs and ‎baskets worn as hats in many looks.

Many pieces were made up of collaged fabrics, something we've also seen at Marni, Michael van der Ham, Marc by Marc Jacobs and 3.1 Phillip Lim.

At the end Vivienne took a bow, resplendent with her peroxide cropped hair and a necklace of conkers.

Andreas Konthaler and Vivienne Westwood:

SATURDAY: WHAT WE'RE WEARING

FRIDAY

AQUAZZURA PARTY

Aquazzura's party got everyone talking. Hosted in the opulent surroundings of the Hotel Marois, just to be present was an assault to the senses. Displayed among the highly patterned mouldings were Aquazzura's beautiful shoes in shimmering coloured metallics. The crucial talking point, however, was the group of black-clad male models stood in the entrance hall. Handsome of course, but also wearing cobalt blue heels. Nice for the lads to see what it's like for once, luckily for them Aquazzura heels are the most comfortable around!

CHRISTIAN DIOR

The glare from the strong lights at Christian Dior‎ saw editors sitting front and second row hurriedly reach to replace the sunglasses they had removed just moments before as they entered the Musee du Louvre.

A stellar front row also included Carla Bruni, Marion Cotillard‎, Dakota Fanning and Olivia Palermo.

We saw luxe dress coats in rich colours and fabrics layered over ‎skate shorts and casual vest tops. High Victorian collars, lots of textured whites‎ and billowing, voluminous shirt dresses made an appearance, as did SS15's mainstay - summer leather - here in the form of macs.

COLLARS

TEXTURED WHITES

SUMMER LEATHERS

DIOR FROW STARS

FRIDAY: WHAT WE'RE WEARING

SHOPPABLE RUNWAYS

In Paris today, JW Anderson debuted for Spanish brand Loewe and became the latest designer to make items from an SS15 collection immediately available to buy, a trend we have now seen at all four fashion weeks. Outdoor advertisements plastered around Paris offered previews of some of the looks from the show that are now available to buy online at Net-A-Porter, as well as at select Loewe boutiques.

Anderson, lauded for his modern approach to the heritage brand, told WWD: "The customer today needs newness... Fashion has changed, and its continuing to change because, fundamentally, people get bored quicker.... it's not necessarily about design, it's about how we consume. We consume a lot online so the veneer has gone, the barrier. You can shop at your leisure - in bed, on the beach, in any format."

In Milan, for the second consecutive season, ‎Moschino showed a super fun collection with a selection of items available to buy online moments after appearing on the runway, from Moschino and later at Harvey Nichols, Browns and more.

Shoppable SS15 items from Moschino (top left) and Loewe (top right) and Topshop Unique (bottom left) and Versus Versace (bottom right)

In London, Topshop Unique made six items from its SS15 show immediately shoppable on its website for the first time, while Burberry lets fans of the teal nail varnish worn by its SS15 runway models buy bottles straight after the show using Twitter's click-to-buy button.

The Versus Versace x Anthony Vaccarello show in New York kicked off 'buy it now' proceedings, making the collection immediately shoppable at VersusVersace.com.

WHAT WE'RE WEARING:

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