The Sea, The Sea. For Spring/Summer 2013 the journey of the Louis Vuitton traveller, always one both literal and metaphorical, takes to the water.
In this way, what can be thought of as the traditional nautical theme – that classic cliché of fashion – is given new meaning and life by being playfully put through the filter of pop culture; made sporting through technical sailing wear; made adventurous through the myth of the high seas; made rebellious through the language of surf culture; made languid and insouciant through a Southern French casual finesse. Ultimately all is made sophisticated in the collection by a thoroughly thoughtful and qualitative approach to each aspect.
A reconfigured idea of luxury both through artisanal handcrafted techniques and materials, together with intense technical research and contemporary fabrications leads to a confluence of textures and tastes that can be both compared and contrasted throughout the collection, and particularly features in the bags. This mixture of texture, tech and tradition is a major motif of the collection.
The signature, textured bag leather ‘Epi’ was a starting point for much of this thought. This season the leather is utilized in clothing (transformed into a neon-yellow zip jacket for one) and shoes (Epi deck shoes are the predominant footwear in the collection) as well as in its traditional role for bags. The Damier is also given a re-invention this season appearing in waterproof nylon in technical, messenger bags and also newly and chicly contrast trimmed in the signature colour of the collection, navy blue. The check also appears in its most luxurious form as the intricately pieced pattern of the shagreen mini-trunk bags. In fact the predominant thought behind many of the bags this season is the contemporary updating of the famous Louis Vuitton trunk. Here the utilitarian inner workings of the trunk can be seen to have transposed to the outer workings of the tech bags. Elements can be switched and changed while fabrications, finishes and trims are also contrasted
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