Louis Vuitton’s Pre Fall 2023 Collection Makes History In Seoul

Nicolas Ghesquière taps ‘Squid Game’ director Hwang Dong-Hyuk for an action-packed show.

This past April 29, Nicolas Ghesquière, creative director of Louis Vuitton, presented his Pre-Fall 2023 womenswear collection for the brand in Seoul, South Korea. The Jamsugyo Bridge, an underwater bridge connecting Gangnam and Gangbuk, was the backdrop for the collection. The show was one of the first major events to be organized by the brand since the appointment of Pietro Baccari as CEO. Guests from all over the world gathered along the street, creating a dramatic setting for the cinematic masterpiece that was the collection.

Nicolas Ghesquière set up his stage in a work of civil engineering that created the illusion of disappearance-reappearance, and for the people of Seoul, it was a true living monument. Then the stage design was entrusted to the director of the Netflix TV series “Squid Game,” Hwang Dong-Hyuk, who made light projections that almost resembled the natural movement of water. In addition, the event was broadcast live worldwide and shown in Seoul on large LED screens. The soundtrack was extremely powerful, so much so that the show felt like it came straight out of Hwang’s hit Netflix show. That’s right!

While this was the second time Louis Vuitton had held a runway show in Seoul, it was Maison’s first runway show created exclusively for South Korea.

Embodying a bold eclecticism, the collection revisits timeless silhouettes, in both whimsical and structured variations, adorned with the Maison’s emblematic motifs. The iconic fashion show told a story made of transitions, an incredible journey between tradition and innovation, to discover tomorrow. Thus, garments were paraded that represented a combination of past, present and future, in a creative flow that seemed to travel back and forth through the very foundations of the historic French fashion house. The runway opened with model Hoyeon Jung dressed in a bold blue jacket paired with a leather skirt. This look set the tone for the juxtapositions that Ghesquière explored throughout the collection. Taking cues from his last spring/summer runway show and the deep history of the brand’s trunk-making expertise, he continued his play with proportion, particularly through exaggerated luggage clasps as belts and giant tags-turned-bags, creating whimsical visual tricks.

With a recurring theme of movement, the collection drew on the aesthetics of runners and cyclists. Quilted jackets, reinvented blazers, boots with serrated soles, wrap-around shades and leather pieces all made an appearance. But despite the natural, pure Louis Vuitton style, the expected sophisticated details were always present: bow belts that mimicked waist straps, belt buckles, the famous Side Trunk bag, chain embellishments and even the smallest details that add that final touch to Louis Vuitton look.

The fashion show harnessed the power of South Korean entertainment, from the music selection, a mix of traditional sounds and music from bygone eras, to the countless celebrity sightings in the front row. World-renowned music and screen icons such as Bae Doona , Jaden Smith, Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation , Yuta of NCT and Hyein of NewJeans turned the event into a star-studded affair.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the looks from the collection.