“The Desert Race” is the name given to Louis Vuitton‘s latest proposal, which corresponds to the Fall/Winter 2023 pre-collection that the Prêt-à-Porter Homme studio of the Maison has designed, as since the death of Virgil Abloh no designer has been appointed as creative director to replace him.

Illustrating the transition of weather conditions through the metaphor of a desert race, the line relates directly to one of the most extreme, demanding, and unpredictable sports: motor. The mirages that appear from time to time add further emphasis and rawness to the theme.

The collection is divided into two parts: “The Desert” and “The Mirage”. Starting with the first, the desert races are transformed into a complete wardrobe adaptable to the urban and recreational dress codes that Virgil so clearly defined, such as a motocross jacket, which stands out for the contrast of aquamarine green with black and the appearance of the Vuitton name on the front. Tailoring and casual travel wear come into play here, including technical pieces made from lightweight, waterproof ripstop nylon. Trousers and tops adorned with zips that surprisingly transform into shorts and short-sleeved shirts with hoods are practically all we can see in the first part of Pre-Fall 2023.

As for the second part, the collection portrays an oasis that mingles with sun-drenched dunes and adapts native motifs of land and water flora into a casual wardrobe. Printed denim and outerwear take center stage in design and construction. The green jacket, a souvenir leather jacket adorned with a perforated logo, and a white reversible bomber jacket – in leather and nylon – are adaptable to different times and occasions.

Finally, and as a novelty, the introduction of the loudspeaker man, which is a reimagining of drawings of the models who wore loudspeakers strapped to their backs, during the spring 2023 fashion show. A nice touch from the team, referencing Abloh’s time as a DJ.

Check out the collection below: