At Louis Vuitton, Youth Culture Meets Workwear Staples

If there’s one thing we can always count on from Louis Vuitton creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, it’s that he will, without fail, show his audience a world of contrasts. And he definitely delivered for fall 2022. On the one hand, he presented a study on suiting that could be updated and worn to any workplace. And on the other, layered, maximal dressing and awkward-yet-fabulous styling with pieces worn in unexpected ways; the exact kind of thing you might come across directly from Gen Z on your TikTok For You Page.

If you’ve been on TikTok, you’ve probably noticed that ties are making a comeback, styled with t-shirts, dresses and school girl-ish outfits. Ghesquière presented a case for making the tie look less formal and even more cool, in the form of floral options paired with oversized bomber jackets, wide-leg pants, and oversized suits with a new spin on rounded shoulders. It was very modern-day Annie Hall, for the new generation.

Elsewhere, the cool youth culture codes continued to be mixed in with workwear staples. High tops went with thick leather coats with large lapels and contrasting buttons, for example. Androgynous suits were deconstructed with ‘80s draping and punkish details, like sequin tees.

But perhaps what felt most exciting were those little glimmers of maximalist styling. Pale sequin tweed dresses were thrown over turtleneck sweaters. The large drop-waist pockets felt like a mix between futurism and the 1920s. There was an explosion of intrinsically cool granny-chic sweater dresses. Sculpted jacquard tops that flared out around the waistline resembled winter scarves tied around models’ midsections; they nearly trailed on the floor, their shearling underlining showing. Floral ties met floral shirts and blended seamlessly. Striped rugby polo shirts were worn over maxi dresses and skirts, looking deliciously yet haphazardly thrown together—and finished with a sweater tied around the waist.

Admittedly, there’s a certain art of layering that has evolved out of the pandemic: a bold sense of maximalism where nothing is too much and every garment, accessory, and anything else can be recontexualied and reconsidered. Why not style a men’s tie from the thrift store with your favorite bomber jacket? In this brave new world, every dress needs a top or turtleneck under it, every suit requires an oversized jacket, and certain dresses call for XL tops layered over them.

This manner of dressing is even more exciting when you can get the effect by shopping your own closet. In that vein, Ghesquière truly brought the youthful sentiment of unexpected pairings and casual-yet-precise styling so often seen on social media to the Paris runways. The only question left is, how much will you layer?