Louis Vuitton’s Pre-Spring collection is inspired by David Mancuso’s legendary loft parties

Louis Vuitton has unveiled its Pre-Spring 2023 collection called Fall In Love, and it draws inspiration from the legendary loft parties of David Mancuso. The invite-only listening parties reigned supreme on New York’s party scene in the 1970s. They seeded the disco era while solidifying a place in the history of dance music for being racially inclusive and gay-friendly with eclectic music selections played through a top-of-the-line sound system under the banner of Love Will Save The Day. Like the parties, the fashion was a microcosm of New York City at the time, and guests were encouraged to wear whatever they wanted, spanning from casual to tailored looks with a touch of drama.

The menswear collection by LV nods to the parallels between sound and fashion, underpinned by symbols defined by the Mancuso era of counterculture: anti-racism, gender equality and the LGBTQ+ movement. In the same way that Mancuso strived to transform the minds of his guests by playing records from beginning to end, the fashion house continues to honour Virgil Abloh’s legacy of using fashion to promote ideas of anti-prejudice and egalitarianism, an idea inspired by the civil rights movement that was sweeping through America at the dawn of the disco days.

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Structurally, the Fall In Love capsule is loosely informed by the silhouettes of the 70s and features snug jackets and pants that are wide and flared. Pieces are then stamped with LV monograms and adorned with music notes. The collection even has a pair of soft leather dancing shoes.

Before his death, Virgil Abloh conceptualised the collection, which was brought to life by the creative teams and collaborators he worked with during his time at Louis Vuitton. The designer had previously used music-inspired motifs in his collections, as he felt that the function of a DJ is akin to that of a designer. He believed both practices sampled established genres at their core to create sounds and looks that resonate with new generations.

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[via Hypebeast]

Olivia Wycech is Mixmag Asia’s Culture Editor, follow her on Instagram.