For Fall/Winter 2021, Louis Vuitton has brought back the Golden Age — the Age of Enlightenment. Drawing inspiration from Greco-Roman antiquity and aesthetics, creative director Nicolas Ghesquière partnered with Italian artistic design atelier Fornasetti in conceptualising this collection.

From the sprawling 13,000 artifacts that Fornasetti has in its archive, Ghesquière settled on fifteen prints and paintings that became the starting point for his ready-to-wear collection. “As a designer who has always loved fashion’s ability to evoke the past, present and future simultaneously, I wanted to add new layers to this creative palimpsest,” he said. “Exploring the Fornasetti archives had the excitement of an archaeological dig, searching for and finding drawings from the past to give them a new life for Louis Vuitton—for now and the future.”

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The collection was unveiled digitally during Paris Fashion Week earlier this year at the Denon wing of the Louvre. As travel was still restricted then, the only “audience” allowed at the runway were ancient Roman, Greek, and Etruscan sculptures. And these sculptures did not only play a passive role in “viewing” the collection, Ghesquière incorporated similar motifs of women from the ancient world into the collection — from clothes to accessories.

He enlisted the help of Fornasetti, whose hand-drawn women faces referenced from the ancient past are a speciality of the atelier. Accompanying the models as they strutted down the runway was Daft Punk’s “Around the World” — the duo agreed to lend the tune before their breakup announcement. 

Apparels from the collection take on a pastel colour palette with occasional splashes of metallic gold and blue. The hues were generally muted. However, the styling is anything but reserved as lavish treatments such as gem-encrusted tunics and highly embroidered dresses were seen.

Layering was also heavily used — a signature of Ghesquière — and it is seen in the pairing of long tulle skirts with bomber-style jackets and chunky boots, and oversized coats paired with printed mini dresses. The silhouettes were also looser, a reflection of how people are dressing nowadays. Comfort is paramount as we are spending more time at home but the urge of getting out again has created a juxtaposition where comfort dressing is mixed with outlandish fashion statements.

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In the words of Ghesquière, “I like to think that these clothes represent that moment when you are finally getting out, and finally connecting to others [in person], but you are also taking something that belongs to you, something that is for you — this moment when you were in your space and you felt very comfortable, you can take this with you.” 

On the accessories front, Louis Vuitton iconic bags are clad in Fornasetti’s eclectic drawings, and the new shape arrives in colourful crocodile-inspired material in colours like blue, purple and yellow. The shoes were sloughy with zips on the side unfastened and chunky; gladiator sandals were also seen on some of the looks.

The shoes were sloughy with zips on the side unfastened and chunky; gladiator sandals were also seen on some of the looks.

The Louis Vuitton’s Women Fall/Winter 2021 collection is available now in Louis Vuitton boutiques and on louisvuitton.com