In an extraordinary display of fashion, engineering, and cultural collaboration, Louis Vuitton’s Pre-Fall 2023 show in Seoul was a celebration of South Korea and the eternal themes of travel and movement. Staged on the Jamsugyo Bridge, the event marked a new chapter in the brand’s history and showcased a unique perspective on wearability and style.
Creative director Nicolas Ghesquière found inspiration in South Korea’s captivating atmosphere and chose an unconventional venue for the Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall 2023 show. The Jamsugyo Bridge, a submersible pedestrian path beneath the Banpo Bridge, offered a living monument for Seoulites and an inspiring stage for a runway show. With traffic halted and a glowing blue tunnel lighting the runway, the event merged futuristic elements with the brand’s first-ever women’s pre-fall show in the South Korean capital.
In collaboration with “Squid Game” director Hwang Dong-hyuk and new CEO Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton’s Pre-Fall expedition was aligned with the 2023-2024 Visit Korea Year. This initiative aimed to celebrate local culture and promote tourism, with the fashion brand partnering with the Korea Tourism Organization on various projects to preserve natural resources and promote Korean culture.
Both the Louis Vuitton brand and Ghesquière himself have embraced travel and movement as central themes. The Pre-Fall 2023 collection showcased these themes through subtle racing motifs, inverted checkerboard prints, shield sunglasses, and reinterpretations of classic styles. The collection represented a constantly evolving aesthetic, with sporty moto jackets, chunky windbreakers, leather skirts, and red jumpsuits opening the show.
The collection also featured inventive plays on proportion and unexpected layering. Baggy pinstripe suits, lace-y lingerie tops, chunky furs, and oversized pajama-style shirts adorned with metallic beading made for eye-catching combinations. Blazers contrasted with the wind, and long sweater vests layered over flowing Grecian-style dresses showcased ingenious styling hacks.
The Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall 2023 show highlighted the effortless sensibility of dressing for dressing’s sake. Puffer coats with short dresses, maxi pleated gowns billowing in the wind, and deep-V tops with sheer mesh panels and sequin stripes exemplified this idea. The cinematic runway setting was further enhanced by the K-pop group Le Sserafim’s performance at the after-party, drawing the attention of the cultural elite to Seoul.
©Louis Vuitton
