A sense of augmented reality sets the tone for the Berluti collection for Spring-Summer 2020. In his continual observance of the artisanal heritage of the maison, artistic director Kris Van Assche shines an imaginative light on the features of its legacy. Presented in front of the orangery of the Jardin du Luxembourg – a manicured interpretation of real nature – the collection expands on the adventurous wardrobe proposed in the previous season and amplifies its characteristics. As the new codes of Berluti become part of its future genetics, a seasonal consistency settles in. While in continuous evolution, the maison remains loyal to the values of its origins in the cultivation of an enduring luxury wardrobe for the multi-faceted man.
Magnifying established signatures, colours intensify. Informed by the stained surfaces of the old marble tables on which the Berluti craftsmen in the Ferrara manifattura hand-dye the archetypical patina shoe, Kris Van Assche fluoresces and acidifies his palette. Enhanced hues elevate classic tones: fluo orange and terracotta, bright yellow and mustard, cobalt blue and navy, and intense violet and royal purple meet in exuberant saturation. The sentiment is echoed in technique: the marble and patina stain motif of silk shirts is first woven into a jacquard fabric, then printed with the marble pattern, and finally overprinted with the multi-coloured stains.
As the new direction of Berluti is heightened, so is tradition. The patina suit – transmuted from the classic Alessandro shoe – is embossed with the maison’s heritage scritto motif. A largely indecipherable 19th century manuscript sacred to the Berluti archive, its handwritten letters find new life on leather tailoring evoking the idea of archive pieces that never existed. The scritto reappears in the jacquards of suits and shirts, features in the form of shadow writing on pin- striped tailoring, as a print on sportswear, on bags, and throughout the details of linings and zips. A nail-head surface decoration is introduced in homage to the shoemaking core of Berluti, in the all-over embellishment of a leather suit and a sweatshirt, and on the sole of shoes.
The presence of the scritto and nail-heads signifies Kris Van Assche’s ongoing fusion of modernity with the classic values of the maison. The symbiosis reinforces a contemporary masculinity – diverse, independent and adventurous – expressed in increasingly fluid tailoring. The silhouette expands seductively in trousers and shoulders, triggering a sense of freedom characterised by an unrestrained attitude to dress codes. Jackets appear in sleeveless form, Bermuda shorts are introduced, and the motocross trousers of the new Berluti wardrobe convert into a harmonising jacket and multicolour leather boot. An idea of sportswear is further explored in takes on perforation, in woven leather tops and outerwear in laser cut deerskin.
Enforcing a contemporary masculinity, women’s looks appear hyper-feminine. Tailoring plumed in buoyant ostrich feathers is worn over cage-knit mohair tops constructed from strings with interweaving embroidery.
In shoes, the Alessandro Edge heralds the new Berluti era, intricately combining a formal sole with a sneaker sole. This diamond-sculpted Alessandro shoe and Stellar sneaker already established at the maison appear in evolved manifestations, while a three-buckle monk shoe makes its debut. In bags, the Un Jour Gulliver is revived in patina with painted orange edges next to the Trois Nuits trio-pocketed bag adorned with motorcycle chains, patina stain bag charms, and Berluti’s signature shoe horn.
An independent view of luxury incites the Berluti collection for Autumn-Winter 2019. Confronted with the absence of historic ready-to-wear archives, artistic director Kris Van Assche approaches his first collection for the maison motivated by a sense of freedom. The lack of preordained rules and codes informs a contemporary wardrobe rooted in the privilege of choice. Presented in the gilded halls of the Opéra Garnier, where classical and experimental arts are staged under one roof, it proposes an adventurous attitude to luxury in which the rough and the noble co-exist.
The collection serves as a meta take on Berluti itself: patina, the signature colouration of the maison’s classic leather shoes is illuminated in new light. Captivated by the old marble tables at which craftsmen hand-dye the patina of shoes in Berluti’s manifattura in Ferrara, Kris Van Assche paints his collection in the multi-hued stains of their surfaces. A wealth of reds, yellows, blues and greens saturates garments in rich colour, no two the same. The dye-splattered marble is further interpreted in print on silk shirts and nylon bags structured in exotic leather.
Interpreted in tailoring, the impression of patina is evoked in calfskin and jacquard suiting, expanding the artisanal core of Berluti into a broader identity. The silhouette is defined, the shoulder stated but never too controlled. It paves the way for an exuberant approach to dress where formal tailoring feature side-by-side with trousers native to motocross. The idea of recalling one material through another further materialises in a purple leather coat stained in the image of patina, a grey shearling coat reminiscent of astrakhan, or a sweater knitted from a thousand metres of multi-coloured leather strings, which reads like yarn.
The maison’s emblematic patina shoes hand-crafted from one piece of leather – the Alessandro, after its founder, and the Andy, after Warhol – are reimagined with sculptural caps recalling the faces of diamonds. The construction amplifies the shine synonymous with the maison, a facet accentuated in another new take on the Alessandro adorned with angular metal plates. The silhouette is transferred to a white trainer executed with the same artisanal principles. A nod to Berluti’s heritage, shoehorn pendants and miniature shoetree key rings adorn the collection.
The first creator of high quality products worldwide, present in 195 countries, LVMH is the savoir-faire ambassador of high tradition throughout the world. In every single country, 83.000 collaborators refresh the soul of over 60 prestigious maisons, in fashion, leather, perfume, cosmetology, wine, alcohol, watch-making and jewelry sectors.
For two days, during the Journées Particulières, LVMH will open to the general public 25 of its most symbolic sites: in Paris and several other regions in Italy, Spain, U.K. and Poland.
In Paris Christian Dior’s Haute Couture Halls , Louis Vuitton’s Asnier Ateliers, Givenchy’s Haute Couture Halls.
In Spain, Madrid, the historical Boutique of Gran Via of Loewe, in Italy, Villa Pucci di Granaiolo in Tuscany, the Palazzo Fendi in Rome, the Manufacture de Souliers Louis Vuitton, Fiesso D’Artico in Veneto.
The LVMH group appealing to famous international architects, retrains many buildings, giving them back a terrific asset value, achieving remarkable contemporary projects which will be a part of the architectural Heritage in the years to come.
Within this architectural frame the most talented artisans are working.
The main aim of the Journées Particulières is to detect the genuine nature of fine high quality. Supported by an ancient and precious handicraft heritage, the LVMH cherishes and reinvents the tradition of excellence, which alllows its Maisons to establish themselves all over the world.
The path made by Maisons leads us to discover cultural heritage. Handicraft demonstrations, conferences and expos put in first place jobs regarding wine and alcohol, fashion and leather, perfume and cosmetology, watch-making and jewelry.
Within ateliers, wineries, family dwellings and historical boutiques, LVMH will share the casket that contains such beauty with the general public.
Entry to the Journées Pariculières is free and open to everyone, at the Maisons which participate in this operation.
For more info click on the website: www.lesjourneesparticulieres.com
Louis Vuitton The Shoe Factory in Fiesso d’Artico – Les Journées Particulières
