LGN Louis Gabriel Nouchi‘s collections are usually related to reading and, in particular, to a work that fascinates him at the time. Last season, for example, it was “AMERICAN PSYCHO” by Bret Easton Ellis, while this season it was “A SINGLE MAN” by Christopher Isherwood, which deals with the loss of George’s partner Jim in a car accident. In the aftermath, the widower goes on a journey in which he experiences various encounters that colour his senses and further illuminate the possibilities of being alive and human in the world. This whole story has played an important role in the designer’s Spring/Summer 24 proposal, recently presented during Paris Fashion Week.
SS24 by LGN is a reflection of the tension between the imposed structure of society and the uncontrollable force of repressed emotions. It opens the conversation about the duel between the two and how men are expected to react or show their emotions openly (or not).
Nouchi’s imagined men who are part of his universe wear 60s Mod-inspired jackets with sharp shoulders that are strangled and cinched at the waist; and also the classic singlet and bodysuits of the men’s wardrobe, typical of the 60s, which are sublimated as new home-wear pieces, thanks to the sustainable fabrics used such as micro modal and lyocell. These materials make the garments comfortable, soft, and breathable enough to be worn for a long day.
One fabric that few can endure for a day but at the same time many love is leather. Louis Gabriel remains faithful to this fabric and consequently to the still active collaboration based on innovation with ECCO LEATHER. The “CRASHIER” express leather is a smooth biker nappa leather that stands out for its shine and delicate grain on a wax body, which preserves the shape to which it is subjected, reminiscent to some extent of the violent shock suffered by one of the protagonists of the play.
The twisted and shocked effect that refers to the state in which the car was left after the accident also appears in the sculptural pieces made with the aforementioned material and in the silver jacquard pieces, related to the crumpled sheet metal. Finally, about this effect, there is also a series of jumpers and shirts with twisted designs that have to do with the emotions that can make our hearts turn.
When human beings experience situations of this kind, they tend to go through different moods and have different feelings. One of them is melancholy, which is transmitted through the sixties colour palette used in the collection, consisting of black, white, and espresso brown. But it is not only these, but others such as canary yellow and phosphor blue that are like encounters that stir George’s heart throughout his journey. The warm yellow of the sun’s rays on an unknown body or the phosphorescent blue of sea drops during a midnight swim. This memory of water droplets glistening on the bodies of Georges and Kenny inspired a fluid and tonal satin jacquard.
Amid all this tragedy, sensuality suddenly appears on the catwalk, something representative of the LGN Louis Gabriel Nouchi, and which could not be missing from the offer. The openings are still present on the neckline of tops, shirts, and jumpers, as well as on the hips, revealing the underwear. Showing a hip or a shoulder is generally associated with feminine eroticism, but this is not a gender issue but an act of strength that reveals a part of oneself and that Louis Gabriel wants to promote, as well as the inclusivity and diversity of male bodies that are further embellished by the floral accessories they wear, representing both mourning and the beauty of the ephemeral and the renewal of life.
Check out the LGN Louis Gabriel Nouchi Spring/Summer 24 collection below:
