Louis Vuitton Presents Its New Men’s Collection Pre-Spring 2023: ‘Fall In Love’

Through the eternal eye of Virgil Abloh, the job of a disc jockey is akin to that of a designer: at their core, both practices are about sampling established genres to create sounds and looks that resonate with the outlooks of new generations.

“I like loud music,” he always said. As part of the Louis Vuitton Pre-Spring 2023 Men’s Collection, the capsule ‘Fall in Love’ explores the symbioses between DJ’ing and design through memories of the legendary Loft Parties created by the American disc jockey David Mancuso in 1970s’ New York. Men’s Artistic Director Virgil Abloh conceived the collection before his passing on 28 November 2021. His ideas were carried out by the creative teams and collaborators with whom he continually worked at Louis Vuitton.

Popularly considered the first-ever DJ, David Mancuso brought together diverse groups of people under the unifying power of music. The listening parties he hosted in his New York apartment, The Loft – the first of which took place in 1970, under the banner Love Will Save the Day – were fuelled by the era-defining air of civil rights and counterculture, from anti-racism to gender equality and the LGBTQ+ movement. Mancuso’s practice of playing records from beginning to end was a mood-expanding exercise designed to transform the minds of his guests. Founded in a similar approach, the Louis Vuitton legacy of Virgil Abloh continually explores how the evolution of dress codes can be used as tools to promote ideas of anti-prejudice and egalitarianism.

Echoing Mancuso’s full-record sets, the ‘Fall in Love’ collection is constructed like a complete wardrobe. A contemporary silhouette loosely informed by the 1970s cuts a lean line expressed in snug jackets and trousers that span the wide and the flared. Rollnecks and a red suede jacket play to that mood while hinting an idea of stagewear. Equalising dress codes, a two-button notch-lapel black suit mirrors the clubwear ease of a sculpted black tracksuit. Their properties meld into a logo-embroidered moleskin over-shirt and a formalised rainproof jacket with monogram topstitching. A technique likewise employed on leather jackets, topstitching appears in a distressed flower logo created in the image of soundwaves. Graphics promote the imaginary Louis Vuitton single Love Potion.

Inspired by op art, an optical print interprets the monograms of Louis Vuitton in an illusory pattern, while shirts adorned in music notes nod to the parallels between sound and fashion. Workwear covered in grease-effect paint motifs pays homage to the idea of the artist, a sentiment further expressed in bird prints featured throughout the collection as a symbol of freedom, both artistically and as the core of the universal values shared by David Mancuso and Virgil Abloh. Shoes reflect a 1970s sensibility contemporised for present-day dressing: a suede chukka boot and a square-toed leather loafer are set on a slightly plateaued foam sole with monogram decoration, and soft leather dancing shoes – created in loafers as well as oxford styles – are imbued with the wear of movement.

Bags interpret the spirit of the collection in two proposals: a Taurillon Denim line fuses leather and denim with tan contrast-stitching and comes in a Keepall, a briefcase, a Christopher backpack, a foldable tote, a duo messenger, and a series of small leather goods. A Record Canvas line in monogram takes inspiration from archive Louis Vuitton notebooks and evokes a vintage sensibility. Realised in blue, burgundy and dark green, it comes as a Keepall, a City Keepall, an Avenue Slingbag, a Christopher backpack, a Trio Messenger, and a series of small leather goods.

About Louis Vuitton

Since 1854, Louis Vuitton has brought unique designs to the world, combining innovation with style, always aiming for the finest quality and preserving biodiversity.

Today, the House remains faithful to the spirit of its founder, Louis Vuitton, who invented a genuine “Art of Travel” through luggage, bags and accessories which were as creative as they were elegant and practical.

Since then, audacity has shaped the story of Louis Vuitton. Faithful to its heritage, Louis Vuitton has opened its doors to architects, artists and designers across the years, all the while developing disciplines such as ready-to-wear, shoes, accessories, watches, jewellery, and fragrance. These carefully created products are testament to Louis Vuitton’s commitment to fine craftsmanship.

For further information: www.louisvuitton.com