Earlier this month, Louis Vuitton presented its Men’s Fall/Winter 2022 Spin-Off Show for the very first time in the Maison’s biggest event to date in Southeast Asia.
Maison Louis Vuitton recently presented what was arguably the most highly-anticipated fashion event of the year. After its runway debut in Paris in January, the Louis Dreamhouse finally landed in the vibrant city of Bangkok, Thailand, in June with the Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall-Winter 2022 Spin-Off Show.
As many fans of the brand will probably know by now, circularity has always been central to the late Virgil Abloh’s design language. At Louis Vuitton, the legacy of the Men’s Artistic Director is founded on arcs, from the coming-of-age premise, the global perspective, and also the cycle of creativity. The Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2022 Spin-Off Show in Bangkok explores these ideas through circular motifs.
Aside from that, the show itself was like a retelling of Abloh’s ethereal Fall/Winter 2022 collection first presented earlier this year, consolidating the themes and messages of the eight-season arc he created for Louis Vuitton. But there’s an added twist, as this time the show debuted nine previously unseen looks which are added to the line-up.
Entering the Pinnacle, ICONSIAM, where the runway show was being held, guests are greeted by Louis Dreamhouse² – a new squaring of existing ideas and imaginary spaces. In a way, it manifests in a physical but surrealist sphere where everything is circulated: the sun orbits the set as models travel in circular passages and instruments float planetarily in the dreamy ether.
It’s safe to say that the surreal architecture surely blends together dream and reality states, and is informed by the designer’s Boyhood Ideology, which he defined as seeing the world with the unspoiled eyes of a child.
“We might go to India or Kansas or Cuba, but wherever we go the focus is youth: the stage in your life before you’ve been taught or programmed to do, think, or wear certain things. And in that study, you realize that teenagers on opposite sides of the world are dealing with the same things. It reflects the fact that, fundamentally, we are all one,” Abloh once said.
Interestingly, there’s also a showing of “I Dreamt of You,” which is a cinematic prelude created for the show’s digital audience, which portrays the aforementioned Boyhood Ideology that is key to the philosophy of Virgil Abloh through the lens of director Sivaroj Kongsakul. Based on the filmmaker’s own childhood memories, the story that was presented to the guests before the runway started follows the formative experiences of an 11-year-old boy in rural Thailand. In short, it is an illustration of a belief integral to Virgil Abloh’s worldview, that youth itself is global.
Collection-wise, the Bangkok show, aptly titled 8.2, also offers a continuation of and showcases Virgil Abloh’s exploration into the idea of boyhood, reimagining clothes and societally dictated dress codes through the aforementioned unspoiled eyes of a child, in the hopes of breaking away from such societal archetypes in the modern age.
This particular ideology informs a collection that tears up and transmutes the dress codes popularly tied to societal archetypes – tailoring, sportswear, dresses – and patchworks them in new ways. On top of that, Abloh’s last collection for the French luxury fashion house also features whimsical printed separates, sculptural hats, and many more.
Intriguingly, the Men’s Fall-Winter 2022 collection’s spin-off also includes references to the voyage format that Virgil Abloh himself first presented to the Maison back in 2020, when he had only recently started working there. By doing this, the show transports viewers to many locations on a journey across the globe while deepening their understanding of each one.
Overall, expanding on its first presentation in Paris this past January, the Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall-Winter 2022 Spin-Off show in Bangkok truly manifests a surrealist sphere of circularity. The heritage brand known for leisure and travel paid homage to Virgil Abloh with a stunning set and show. Without a doubt, it was a wondrous sequel.
The whole presentation itself, which definitely will be a source of inspiration for fashion lovers in many years to come, also further explores the fundamental constructs central to Virgil Abloh’s practice and legacy. The collection will be remembered as a true whirlwind of creativity, and it’s safe to say we really appreciated the genius that is Virgil Abloh.
Marking the very first time Louis Vuitton has taken to Southeast Asia for a spin-off, the star-studded event was truly a celebration of Virgil Abloh’s legacy and was nothing short of spectacular. Au revoir, Virgil…
All images: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
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