When stocks go down, the Parisienne dresses up

MANILA, Philippines - Such was the subtext of Marc Jcobs’ spring/summer 2009 collection for Louis Vuitton. Jacobs issued a rousing response to troubled times with one of his richest ever collections for Louis Vuitton. Short hemlines, striking colors, extravagant details, and fabulous accessories added up to a vibrant homage to the spirit of his adopted city, which was accompanied on the soundtrack by the gravelly tones of Edith Piaf and culminated — as the models stepped out for the finale — in her defiant, rousing rendition of Je Ne Regretted Rien.

This was a collection that celebrated Louis Vuitton’s tradition of craftsmanship with an array of impeccably tailored, intricately embellished pieces that swished and shimmered their way down the catwalk. Whereas previous seasons had juxtaposed rich and poor, this collection put rich with rich, as on a sharp-shouldered jacket in gold ottoman and black duchesse satin, worn with an orange suede mini skirt that was perforated with eyelets and trimmed with python, gold and leather, and — in a quintessentially French reference — a pee-through panel of point d’ esprit lace at the back. Elsewhere, a short kimono-style coat — one of a series of Japanese-inspired pieces, cinched at the waist with an obi belt — offered a sumptuous black-on-black patchwork of beads, sequins, satin, and Monogram silk jacquard.

In a season of skirts, pants nonetheless provided some stand-out looks: slouchy pyjama bottoms in polka dot silk were teamed with a shirt fabric bustier top with a gold Lurex stripe, while high-waisted pants in beige cotton jersey partnered a neatly tailored short-sleeved navy jacket, and wide-legged denim pants looked cool and crisp with a close-cut denim shirt. Elsewhere, a tailored polka dot pants were worn with a ladylike bracelet-sleeved jacket, shimmering in woven pink Lurex, one of a number of reprises of French fashion classics, which also included a navy Breton sweater with stripes in metallic gold mesh.

Subtle ethnic influences on the clothes — notably a sweater embellished with a tribal pattern of plastic discs — become full-blown references on the accessories, with lacquered wood bangles with leopard spots or zebra stripes, heavy gold cuffs with richly colored acetate cabochons, huge hoop earrings with wood and acetate beads, and tough-looking tribal necklaces embellished with beads and feathers.

Shoes fused together the collection’s rich details and ethnic influences on sexy, spindly-heeled platform sandals with a play on straps and laces. Elaborate patchworks of materials — mix of suede, patent, python and leopard-print pony skin — were combined with decorative elements including tassels, beads, and feathers, which at times formed African masks and at others simply suggested a tribal inspiration.

Bags came in rich mixes of materials with extravagant decorative details. A soft leather clutch with Stephen Sprouse’s iconic leopard print was tied with a passementerie cord strung with beads, while the Monogram pattern shimmered in Lurex on supple, oversized bags in sumptuous shades of metallic leather. Smaller, structured styles inspired by the flight bags carried by Seventies air hostesses came in bold primary colors trimmed with leopard print, tassels, and passementerie chains, while a slouchy Monogram-embossed leather bags in desert hues were finished with exotic trimmings and held by ornate wood, metal and acetate handles.

In the Philippines, Louis Vuitton is exclusively available in Greenbelt 4. For inquiries, call 889-9430.