Ghesquière's Effortless Debut ... Louis Vuitton FW2014 Collection

March 14, 2014

Ghesquière's Effortless Debut ... Louis Vuitton FW2014 Collection

Nicolas Ghesquière has no word to describe his debut collection for Louis Vuitton.

Yet, he did deliver his message straight to the anticipating audience since he took over the maison’s creative reins from Marc Jacobs.

They include permanent front row fixtures such as Catherine Deneuve, Fan Bing Bing and Charlotte Gainsbourg, just to name a few.

Unlike his predecessor who is best known for his story-imbued collection with liberal touches of theatrical elements (think the current spring/summer 2014 collection), Ghesquière’s take of the fall/winter is very straight to the point: the silhouettes are absolutely feminine; the nuances are classic; and the styles are inevitably effortless.

In other words, his debut collection for Louis Vuitton can said as a collection that truly alludes to the French spirit of je ne sais quoi.

As a house with a century long history and savoir-faire in leather, Ghesquière utilised yards of full grained yet smooth leather s ― the key material in this collection.

Employing artisanal techniques that are synonymous to Louis Vuitton’s storied heritage, the leathers are fashioned into a variety of stylish permutations ranging from skirts, jackets, tops, coats and even bodices of the dresses.

Furthermore, accents such as polished metal buttons and leather patchworks accentuate the beauty of the outstanding pieces.

However, nothing screams out pure luxury without being overtly ostentatious than polished crocodile skin.

Always a hot commodity during fall/winter, the lavish hide is incarnated into a front-zippered long coat with darted zippered-pockets and a rounded hem at the bottom as well as plunging v-neck top that sheen under the beams of the spotlights.

Amalgamating bold colours with muted halftones, the strength of the collection is further amplified with liberal usage of hybrid materials and plethora of patterns.

Floral prints add flirty punch in between strips of raised textured fabrics while white shirts are punctuated with classic collars richly embroidered with Louis Vuitton’s iconic monograms.

In some cases, multiple over layering can be seen on the dresses, mimicking the classic European peasantry style. On the other hand, a fully crocheted dress in plethora of bright hues with leather detailing creates the illusion of a wearable spring garden.

Accessories are rather minimalist in terms of look and feel, yet bodacious at the same time.

For instance, the metallic necklace is a juxtaposition of two geometrical shapes hold together by a leather strap while earrings seem to resemble mobile sculpture. Belts are knotted at the end with some are printed in the maison’s iconic monogram patterns.

The bags boasts a variety of silhouettes from small, boxy carriers with sturdy construction to the classic Alma covered in a quilt-like leather netting, and right to hand-held golden clutch fashioned after the legendary Louis Vuitton travelling trunk with wooden effect surface.

For footwear lovers, patent leather sandals with golden V-medallion, polished crocodile skin high-heeled booties as well as the monogrammed version in smooth grained leather are the perfect shoes to stand out from the typical crowd.

Louis Vuitton’s fall/winter 2014 ready-to-wear collection will be available at select Louis Vuitton stores worldwide starting this autumn.