AnOther speaks to Alister Mackie about the S/S15 Louis Vuitton menswear collection
From the Atacama Desert in Chile to the Bhutanese cloud forest in the Himalayas, a theme of travel runs through each Louis Vuitton menswear collection. The son of a geologist, Kim Jones has a vast geographic knowledge that works its way into vivid, rich colour palettes, prints and outerwear built for the contemporary explorer. For S/S15, Jones took his audience on a trip to India: iconic sandstone architecture and Hindu temples were translated in luxurious suede and khaki belted jackets, chevron-printed shirts, mirror mosaics and rich shades of blue, which has proved a staple hue during the menswear shows. There was a sense of synergy to the collection, as the Indian princes who inspired the clothing were also loyal Louis Vuitton customers in the 1920s. Jones dedicated the collection to the late Louise Wilson, his professor at Central Saint Martins who sadly passed away earlier this year. The show was styled by AnOther Man’s creative director Alister Mackie.
Here, AnOther speaks to Mackie about the collection and the run-up to the show.
Did you have a favourite piece or look?
My favourite piece was the opening trench coat in tan leather which was printed to look like twill with leather buttons and epaulettes.
What was the biggest dilemma you faced when deciding upon the running order?
The Louis Vuitton show has its own particular running order as it always tells a story. It’s consistently about travel and we try and illustrate a journey through the looks. In this show we had some strong pieces in mirror and also in bright pink, so working them into the colour palette was this season's challenge.
"The Louis Vuitton show is consistently about travel and we try and illustrate a journey through the looks." — Alister Mackie
What was the most manic moment during the run-up to the show?
Fittings are always the most manic as we are waiting for boys to arrive from Milan. You can quite often have a lull followed by chaos as they all arrive at once.
What keeps you going during the long hours pre-show?
This season we played the soundtrack on repeat to keep ourselves in the zone. It was an amazing Kate Bush remix by Honey Dijon featuring some special vocals.
How would you describe the hair and grooming?
For this show we wanted something smart where the boys looked really handsome but not too classic. Guido came up with his spin on the side-parting which was timeless and didn’t attach us to any specific decade but kept that rich easy feeling that you would want from an LV man.
How would you describe the atmosphere backstage?
This season was particularly calm. It’s always exciting to hear the soundtrack played loud in the venue. The rehearsal is often my favourite part of the day.
Text by Mhairi Graham