PARIS — If Kim Jones’ first collection at the helm of Louis Vuitton’s menswear is any indication, the designer and the luxury label have just taken the first step on a long, successful journey together.
Jones, the 32-year-old Englishman who succeeds Paul Helbers, worked under the artistic direction of Marc Jacobs to turn out a collection that not only tapped into both the brand’s and the designer’s heritage but garnered unanimous praise from the fashion press. The travel theme of Jones’ inaugural collection shown in Paris late last month was a nod to Vuitton’s early heritage as maker of steamer trunks and was also familiar in Jones’ previous menswear collections at Alfred Dunhill.
“Travel’s something I’ve done for all my life,” Jones explained. “And I think it’s something that any men who are successful in their careers tend to have to do. The world has become so small that no one really thinks twice of hopping on a plane and going off to a meeting — even if it’s on the other side of the world and even if it’s just for a couple of days.
“So it’s all about creating a men’s universe that allows them to travel easily — and in the most comfort possible.”
And Jones did it in pretty short order too. He was appointed the head of Vuitton’s men’s ready-to-wear studio effective March 1 of this year, just 3 1/2 months before his first collection for the house hit the runway. Before that, he had served as the creative director at Alfred Dunhill from March 2008 through September 2010, and Jones is widely credited with reinvigorating the staid British brand. His efforts at bringing a youthful, updated vibe to a label that dated to 1893 won Jones the British Fashion Council’s menswear designer of the year award for 2009.
That was the second time Jones had been so honored. The 2001 Central St. Martin’s College of Art and Design graduate took home the same prize in 2006 for the eponymous label he launched in 2003. Rounding out his resume are collaborations with, or stints at, a range of labels, including Uniqlo, Topman, Umbro, Mulberry, Alexander McQueen and Hugo Boss. In a way, Jones’ new role brings his voyage full circle — shortly after graduating from Central St. Martin’s, he had a job working on prints in the Vuitton men’s studio he now heads.
The backdrop for Jones’ debut runway show was constructed to look like a gargantuan stack of Louis Vuitton steamer trunks, and as the models walked out between them, it created a feeling that the collection was essentially unpacking itself.
Inspired by the life of artist Peter Beard , the collection managed to do a fair bit of traveling itself — from the Ivy League college campus that inspired preppy navy blue blazers and striped club ties to the wilds of Africa, which allowed for khaki-colored explorer gear and tribal-inspired designs. Then it jet-setted to the big city, where the penthouse in the sky comes with silk pinstripe pajamas by day and ultra-luxe dinner jackets and ties gleaming with precious metals by night.
Hardly novel as archetypes go , but it’s the small twists and subtle details beyond the familiar silhouettes that make the collection worthy of the Louis Vuitton label .
In the collegiate/preppy part of the collection, that meant striped shirting fabric linings in blazers; T-shirts and gym shorts with the gray marl of standard-issue sweatsuits but done in a cashmere-silk blend; and stadium jackets with metal snap buttons redesigned so the interior of the snap — the part of the closure visible when the jacket is unbuttoned — has the same clean, polished and handsome look as the top of the snap.
The safari segment included different takes on the house’s checkerboard Damier print, including a short-sleeve raffia shirt and shirts given an African tribal vibe.
One of the collection’s standouts was a striking red and blue Masai-inspired design that appeared in tartans, checks and the Damier design on a range of scarves, blankets, shorts and T-shirts.
The delight was in the details for the more formal offerings as well: silk pajama shirts and trousers, shawl-collared tuxedo jackets with a jacquard weave of a barely perceptible LV logo and — the height of understated luxury — a navy blue necktie shot through with strands of 24-karat gold thread.
Although what Jones pulled out of those Louis Vuitton steamer trunks during Paris Fashion Week makes it seem unlikely he’ll be packing his bags off to another label any time soon, it doesn’t mean he won’t be enthusiastically road-testing his employer’s luggage. This weekend he’s winging from Paris to London for a friend’s wedding. “Then I go around to America the week after that,” Jones said, starting to rattle off his itinerary. “I’ll be seeing all the different markets — it’s New York to Los Angeles, to Miami, to San Francisco and then off to Yosemite to do some research. We’ll be there for two days taking photos and getting a feel for the environment and color and that sort of thing. Then it’s back to Paris for a couple of weeks, then Japan.”
And that’s just the month of July.
“Since all the factories here pretty much shut down for the month of August, I’ll be going on to South Africa, Kenya and Madagascar.”
And there’s no doubt that Kim Jones will be doing it all easily — and in the most comfort possible.
Similar Posts:
- The Runways: Men’s fashions tailored and tribal
- Footwear For Spring/Summer 2011
- Designer India Hicks’s new jewelry line is also a…
- Things we would buy if rent wasn’t due: a Goyard bag seen at yesterday’s Barneys/Vogue luncheon
- Christopher Kane & J Brand Announce New Joint Venture
Tags: Louis Vuitton, Vuitton
Comments
There are no comments on this entry.