Venues for fashion shows have become crucial to the collection itself. Sometimes, they connect directly with the designs on the runway, highlighting the collection's main theme; other times, the location subtly showcases the brand's wealth, power, and influence. This is evident with Louis Vuitton, which, after taking over a bridge and a public park in previous season, held its men's show in the garden of the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
The UNESCO headquarters, a collaborative work of several iconic 20th-century architects, such as Bernard Zehrfuss, Marcel Breuer, and Pier Luigi Nervi (expect one day a Vuitton runway in or around a building designed by Nervi…), consists of several structures and landmarks.
One of them is the Symbolic Globe, representing UNESCO's aspirations for global understanding, cooperation, and solidarity, a remarkable engineering feat. Designed by engineer and scientist Erik Reitzel, the globe is an interlaced structure made of special joints and rods held together by fine steel cables.
Though it is a minimal structure, the globe is rich in symbolism: inspired by natural forms and the elementary principle of the soap bubble, it is stabilized by small elements, perfectly symbolizing the forces that hold the world together - regardless of where we live, we are indeed all interconnected.
Another symbolic aspect of the Globe is that it was designed to be assembled from small elements by people from all over the world.
Originally conceived for the United Nations Summit on Social Development in March 1995, it was built in the center of Copenhagen by international delegates.
The structure was divided into forty-eight sections, allowing each participant to manage one element, even if they lacked physical strength. This gave people from all over the world the chance to erect a structure and witness its completion.
Delegates from around the world succeeded where the builders of the Tower of Babel had failed. According to the biblical story, the tower's construction was halted because the participants, confused by their many languages, scattered across the Earth.
The Symbolic Globe was instead completed and eventually relocated outside the UNESCO HQ in Paris and set against a backdrop of country flags. The structure was inaugurated on November 7, 1995, by Federico Mayor, who at the time was UNESCO General Director.
Now, while the globe is interesting from a structural point of view (fashion design students, please download the essay about the globe at this link as it contains structural details that may be useful for creating innovative accessories or jewelry, or to add further meaning to the set of a runway show moving from the assembly process), its true significance lies in its symbolism and the assembly process. One could argue that a fashion collection is created in a similar way, piece by piece, often by an international team.
The globe and the international flags provided a symbolic backdrop for the fourth menswear runway show at Louis Vuitton of designer, singer and music producer Pharrell Williams.
The title of the show was "Le monde est à vous" (The World Is Yours), and it was conceived as a homage to humankind (a theme dear to Williams, whose skincare brand is called Humanrace).
This theme was evident in the diverse casting of the collection, with models' outfits designed to complement their different skin tones.
Black models in deep ebony velvet suits and elegant cardigans with beaded embroideries opened the runway (which took place on Tuesday, a day before Juneteenth); models with lighter skin tones donned caramel designs and white models came out in snowy white and pale grey ensembles.
There was a progression of looks, starting with formalwear paired with formal accessories (including a red case similar to the red briefcase usually brandished by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the UK when the Budget is announced) possibly referencing diplomats, then moving to pilot overalls, suggesting more adventurous characters.
The collection then featured looks for refined dandies such as short fur jackets covered in rhinestone embellishments and a white knee-length fox coat (Louis Vuitton is sadly still using animal fur in its collections). The concept of UNESCO and humanity appeared again in satellite prints of the world, including a pixelated rendition, offering a new take on the aerial view appreciated in fashion.
References to humanity were highlighted in a collaboration with Air Afrique. This collaboration with the Paris-based cultural collective inspired by the Pan-African airline that operated from 1961 to 2002, includes a capsule collection of clothing and luggage featuring Air Afrique's blue-and-green tartan. Additionally, Air Afrique produced a film for the collection, starring a group of kids as United Nations delegates (watch it on their Instagram page).
New additions included a pixelated python pattern and a multi-colored version of the brand’s signature checkerboard pattern (also the lawn was sprayed in the iconic pattern, which may have been avoided as it felt like an attempt at branding a UNESCO space).
The collection then gradually shifted to sports, with soccer-inspired designs hinting at the current European Championships in Germany and with models built like athletes.
The looks featured jerseys that seemed made disassembling soccer balls, soccer ball bags, and soccer shoes, with some models wearing shirts emblazoned with "LVFC" and "LV Lovers" (a slogan that was already used in the first collection by Pharrell Williams). The sports references extended further with luxury monogrammed tracksuits and motocross jackets, reflecting LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton's partnership with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which kicks off in July (LVMH is also sponsoring several French athletes who have been signed as Vuitton brand ambassadors).
Sports victories and the energy that unites us all were also hinted at in the title of Williams' new original composition for the show soundtrack, "Triumphus Cosmos" (for his debut Vuitton show, he launched his track "Joy (Unspeakable)," also employed in an Evian commercial – Williams definitely knows how to use a fashion show as a platform for his other projects).
A collection inspired by humankind with a diverse cast of models carries good intentions, yet the concept of luxury is often distant from equality and human rights. Therefore, rather than the clothes, we should draw other lessons from this show at the UNESCO HQ.
The first lesson is embedded in the globe, which has a golden nucleus marking its heart. This spherical golden heart beating inside the light structure reflects the fundamental values of humanity and the necessity of defending them. No development is indeed possible without respect for the principles of justice, education, and sharing.
The second lesson comes from a quote on a monument in the Square of Tolerance, the Sculpture Garden at UNESCO HQ: "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed."
There is no need for luxury in a world still plagued by wars, and while the beauty of fashion can soothe our hearts and minds, it is our humanity that truly makes us beautiful, regardless of what we wear.
After all, as Greek dramatist Menander stated, "ὡς χαρίεν ἄνθρωπος, ὅταν ἄνθρωπος ᾖ," that literally means "how graceful is man when he is really a man" or "what a fine thing a human is when truly human".
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