The '70s are back at Louis Vuitton

MANILA, Philippines - Marc Jacobs prefaced his spring/summer 2011 collection for Louis Vuitton with a quotation from essayist Susan Sontag: “The relation between boredom and camp taste cannot be overestimated. Camp taste is by its nature possible only in affluent societies or circles capable of experiencing the psychopathology of affluence.”

What the designer proceeded to send out was a highly personal definition of camp — a collection of dazzling color, shimmering texture and mesmerizing movement; a collection that — in its celebration of the savoir-faire of the Louis Vuitton ateliers — elevated decadence to artistry.

Throughout, there was a distinct Seventies influence: silhouettes were either fluid and flowing or slim and slinky; colors were bright and often black; there was lamé and Lurex, strass and sequins. Chinoiserie, too, was a recurrent theme in cheongsam dresses, jackets with mandarin colors, and fans fashioned from Monogram lace.

Animal references abounded, from a subtle tiger stripe in the gold lame tweed of a pantsuit to a graphic black-and-white zebra on a billowing chiffon jumpsuit and cape in the finale. At times, the animals themselves put in an appearance. Giraffes, zebras and tigers cropped up on precisely placed, vibrantly colored prints on skirts, dresses and coats in wool, jersey or satin. A panda was embroidered in sequins on a luxe T-shirt worn with a slim tuxedo skirt, while a giraffe wound its long neck up the back of a sharp white satin pant suit, finishing with its head on the front of the jacket.

Like everything else, the collection’s floral motifs were larger than life. Lush irises bloomed voluptuously on dresses in crisp cotton or fluid jersey, and on cheongsams in double satin, which were elaborately appliquéd and embroidered with swinging tassels. Even a neatly tailored pantsuit was resplendent with rich, red blooms on a blue background.

Bold color blocking was another key direction, from shimmering, figure-hugging knit dresses worn with sequined cummerbunds to a long mandarin jacket in scarlet lame with a purple collar and hot pink cuffs, by way of flowing crepe de Chine pants and a slashed sleeve blouse in a stunning combination of mauve and copper.

Beyond the instant visual impact, every piece revealed a richness and intricacy of couture detail. The polka dots on the show’s opening look — a split-to-the-thigh cheongsam in black and duchess satin — turned out to be tiny beaded tassels, while a fringed flapper dress was crafted from strings of golden beads that swished as the model walked. Meanwhile, the new suit — a jacket and hot pants in mauve lame tweed — featured frog fastenings in python skin.

With such lavish detail on clothes, accessories stepped back from the spotlight this season, although several looks were complemented by extra-long tasseled earrings and others by Art Deco-inspired sculpted macassar cuffs.

Though small in size, the collection’s bags made a striking statement. Neat flap purses in two-tone calf with gold-link clasps dangled from long chains, as did python-trimmed pochettes with Monogram pattern in wooly jacquard. Streamlined clutches came in color-blocked stingray or in multicolored sequined tiger stripes. The show’s final look was complemented by a tasseled spherical minaudiere with the Monogram pattern picked out in a myriad black and silver strass, painstakingly applied by hand.

In the Philippines, Louis Vuitton boutiques are located in Greenbelt 4 and 5. For inquiries, call 889-9430.