AUTUMN/WINTER ’15 MUST-HAVES
Kim Jones pays tribute to iconic Eighties designer Christopher Nemeth with his latest Louis Vuitton collection. By Jeffrey Yan.
The clothes that Kim Jones produces for Louis Vuitton may be sleek and sophisticated, befitting the French luxury maison, but they are never clinical. For Autumn/ Winter ’15, he went on a different kind of journey – into the archives of influential English designer and artist Christopher Nemeth. Way before it was a trend, Nemeth was already mixing heritage tailoring with street influences, making a name for himself with his deconstructed suits and his illustrations of threads and ropes. Jones transplanted four original prints from the archives onto sharp, youthful silhouettes.
Even though the clothes in this collection have a strong sense of craft and heritage, they still feel modern and wearable. And like all of Jones’ work for Vuitton, there is an active, travel-ready edge that makes the pieces feel anything but stuff y.
Jones printed and embroidered Nemeth’s iconic rope motifs on double-breasted wool coats, camel outerwear, cashmere sweaters, duffle coats, and anoraks. They were also used on accessories like backpacks, crossbody pouches, boxy totes, and luggage bags; some of them overlaid on the house’s monogram and Damier check. There were also quieter pieces that provided a break from the busy prints – bonded leather jackets, quilted nylon bombers and jumpsuits, and cream-coloured sheepskin.
Another method that Jones used to transport his Nemeth reference from retro to now is the Louis Vuitton craftsmanship available to him. Prints were laser-etched onto shaved shearling, tweeds and cashmere were overlaid with patterns, and corks were used as embroidery. Jones also recruited long-time Nemeth collaborator Judy Blame to come up with the jewellery – an assortment of buttons, pins, and charms that had an artisanal but punkish DIY feel.
Louis Vuitton has a rich heritage of working successfully with artists, so it was smart of Jones to continue in that vein. It still felt like a Kim Jones collection thanks to the freshness of the styling, the attention to detail, the luxury of the construction, and the instant commerciality of every piece.
Backpack, Louis Vuitton