Discover The Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall 2023 Womenswear Collection

Nicolas Ghesquière‘s energetic vision was realised under the iconic Jamsugyo Bridge.

Nicolas Ghesquière presented his Louis Vuitton pre-fall 2023 collection this Saturday, April 29, 2023, in Seoul. For his first fashion show in South Korea, the French fashion designer chose the Jamsu Bridge, a submersible bridge that crosses the Han River and connects the districts of Yongsan-gu and Seocho-gu. A landmark of the city that also testifies to the desire to strengthen ties with this East Asian country. The show was truly a metaphorical bridge that bridged the gap between Seoul and Paris, East and West, past and future, allowing the tensions between two worlds to create something culturally and sartorially harmonious rather than disparate.

In addition, for the sensational show, the French house collaborated with the director of the most popular Korean show, “Squid Games,” Hwang Dong-Hyuk, as a creative consultant for the show’s set design, who created light projections that almost resemble the natural movement of water.

This collection is a pleasing example of Louis Vuitton’s impeccable savoir-faire. Nicolas Ghesquière set his stage in a work of civil engineering that creates the illusion of disappearance-reappearance, and for the people of Seoul, it is a true living monument.

“The essential elements take on a new look, new characteristics. It rejoins the ceaseless movement on Jamsugyo Bridge, a living work of architecture that exists in harmony with the vagaries of water, a perfect allegory for transformation. It anchors a collection that is itself in mutation.” – by Louis Vuitton.

At a glance from afar, the models emerged from the bright, blue-lit tunnel that served as a runway. Drawing inspiration from travel and movement, both themes were intrinsically on display throughout the collection, as the designer adopted modern and traditional house motifs. 

Playing with the architecture of the Jamsu Bridge, Hwang Dong-Hyuk’s futuristic and stripped-down scenography mixes jets of water and blue lights projected between the arches of the bridge, evoking an allegory of transformation, the theme of this collection described as transference. by Nicolas Ghesquiere. In terms of music, there is no K-Pop, but an explosive cultural melting pot of traditional Korean music, rock and pop with the voice of Léo Ferré reciting Apollinaire.

For this collection, Nicolas opted for leather A-line skirts paired with zippered jackets, the long sleeves of printed silk dresses appeared under discreet knitted sweaters, baggy pants were worn with matching shirt dresses, lace skirts, suits adorned with blue and red or brown and beige stripes, while bag buckles became belts, and the Monogram flower and Louis Vuitton’s iconic check prints adorned tops, pants and dresses. Betting on always innovative materials and daring chromatic combinations, Nicolas Ghesquièreaquí here seems to rediscover a certain sobriety. A Louis Vuitton collection that revives the most accessible ready-to-wear, without losing any of its radicality or uniqueness.

“This collection features crisp and precise tailoring, making it both elegant and extremely practical,” said influential assistant Yi Mengling. “The models on the runway exuded a sense of power and confidence, so it feels like the collection was designed for strong, independent women.”

The show appeared tailor-made for Generation Z, with eye-catching pieces that conveyed that nonchalant confidence of youth. Louis Vuitton’s pre-fall 2023 collection is “for girls and boys who want to be strong and stylish warriors,” said fashion blogger Gogoboi.

In addition to the presence on the runway of model and actress Jung Ho-yeon and French singer Lous & The Yakuza, the show’s front row included rapper Jaden Smith accompanied by his mother, actress Jada Pinkett, who gave a memorable performance in honor of this momentous event. Also present were actresses Alicia Vikander, Chloë Grace Moretz and Marina Fois, K-Pop stars Taeyeon of Girls Generation, Hyein, Felix and Mingyu, Hyungsik of South Korean boy band ZE:A, among others.

Take a closer look at the Louis Vuitton Fashion Show.