Classicism in session

The point of departure for your Autumn-Winter collection is “French style”. That’s a vast subject! How are you expressing it?

I’m deliberately leaving the question open. Now that we’ve started travelling again it’s a subject that often comes up abroad: “What is French style?” It’s still a very present fantasy. French fashion is informed by many cultures. In fact, that’s what makes it so special and exemplary. French fashion is a land of opportunity. In our case, we have an international studio and team, and I find it really interesting to explore and debate the subject with them. As for me, my work never comes from a single source of inspiration, it’s more a sum of ideas, a mixed bag of images and concepts. Successive strata of things have made an impression on me personally that can illustrate my idea, among others, of a French signature.

What are your sources of inspiration?

I want to leave the enigma of French style intact. Let’s just say that this reflection took shape while I made the ceremonial green dress for Anne Démians who, in January, became the first female architect inaugurated into the Académie des Beaux-Arts. The Dome, the Quai de Conti... I really loved being able to express myself within the strict sartorial protocol of a very solemn institution such as the Académie Française, which is so emblematic of French culture. So, that’s part of it, the etiquette, the order, and maybe even

the ceremony. Our history is based on a certain classicism and conventions that are very much part of the legend of Louis Vuitton, a name that also speaks to French culture. It was about transposing that classicism into a pure expression of fashion. How to articulate that French allure, that blend of sophistication and nonchalance that continues to fascinate.

Please describe how these clothes reflect your take on French style.

Classicism with a twist. Trompe l’oeil suiting that’s draped as though it were wrapped up. Pearl necklaces as dresses. Coats made with fabrics that look like carbon steel. Peignoirs over faux-fur shorts, off-hand chic... It may look formal, yet it’s all about movement and extreme suppleness. The boots are also like a little wink, as they’re hand-painted to look like pumps. It is a collection made of faux-semblants, or illusions.

The fabrics also seem to play on illusion.

We did a lot of technical work on perforated and reprinted leathers that look like classic tailoring fabrics or caviar. Cashmeres, flannels, tweeds, and grain de poudre wool appear in a new light. And cannetille embroidery, a gold-thread technique that could be described as practically synonymous with Frenchness! It’s found on almost every type of ceremonial uniform.

As in last season, the artist Philippe Parreno designed the show’s scenography.

Yes, we’re continuing a dialogue where the show and its surroundings are intertwined. We’re in the ballroom at the Musée d’Orsay. Every model has an acoustic device; the soundscape captures heartbeats or the fall of foot-steps, as well as noise from the city out-side, generating a resonance that inter-acts with echoes from the street.

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• From the April edition of Wanted, 2023.