J’aime Marc et Louis

By Slim   |   27 Comments

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I had the wonderful opportunity in Paris last week to sneak away with a couple of girlfriends to take in the Louis Vuitton-Marc Jacobs exhibition at Les Arts Decoratif.

What fun!

Although I never got the chance to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met (missed it by one day, not that I’m bitter)

I did see the Princess Grace exhibit in London and I must say the “Louis” show is far superior.

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While my menfolk were climbing the stairs of la Tour Eiffel, we girls were engaging in some good old fashioned Fashion New vs Fashion Old chat,

Which included the big “What the hell happened to our waists in the last hundred years” quandary

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Several walls covered in video screens bombarded your senses with cultural icons, film clips and the multitude of ways in which Jacobs, in his role as designer for Louis Vuitton, is inspired.

Definitely one of the highlights of the exhibit.

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Funny how the Steven Sprouse collection already feels like a total blast from the past.

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Fan Dance Video  from the exhibition

Can we just pretend I had included this on my previous “FAN-TASTIQUE” post-

you know the one I posted the morning before I went to this exhibit!

(hate when that happens)

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 little mini Marc Jacobs in a case as you exit the show

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The Marc Jacobs Fall 2012-13 collection for Louis Vuitton is a veritable Alladin’s Den for those

who truly appreciate over the top luxe decadence & glamour.

Who…

MOI??

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Although hardly befitting my lifestyle-as I live in the land of sweatpants & Uggs, and though I often bemoan that fact, I’m guilty as charged 🙁

Still,  we can all dream.

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And really,

One does need someone to carry this to prevent snagging One’s coat on the gems, duh

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A-line coats, jewelled  leather skirts and cropped trousers in tapestry fabrics adorned with flower-shaped buttons…

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  Embroidered jacquard, sumptuous brocades, jewel toned holograms and resin gems appear throughout the collection.

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Enormous  hats embellished with fur plumes and high heeled mary-janes heighten the drama.

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excruciatingly gorgeous

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Here you can watch a beautiful video of the shooting of the Fall campaign by Steven Meisel

with Marc giving a little explanation;

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Video of Fall 2012 campaign 

This is really quite beautiful, please take the time to watch!

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Amusez-vous and we’ll rendezvous on the train platform, oui?

 I’ll be appearing from amidst billows of steam, right below the giant clock as the last whistle blows hauntingly…

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27 Comments

  3. “What the hell happened to our waists in the last hundred years?”- I’ve wondered the same! Love your posts.

  4. Just gorgeous! And yes, our waistlines are bigger I think because we don’t squeeze them into corsets every day like bound feet. My grandmother used to boast that she had a 17″ waistline in her prime. How is that even possible?
    Thanks for another great post!

  5. Out of the 400 brilliant posts you have conjured up, this is going to be one of my all time favorites. You can’t even imagine how long this will keep me entertained. 🙂
    BRB
    Gotta top off my vino …
    xo

  8. First of all, your new header is stunning, I would have been content with that. But, of course, you offered so much more. Such gorgeous, embellished, wonderful wear. So happy you have fun friends to enjoy it with. Looking forward to more incredible images…

  9. If you’re still in Paris, have you been to le grande mosquees. It is amazing. I think you would love it. and then mint tea in the salon around the corner afterwards. oh and some of their gelato. perfect on a hot day… you’ll feel like you’re in marakesh inside Paris. But you’re such a seasoned traveller, you’ve probably already been. Also Deyrolles – i didn’t think I would be a fan of a taxidermy shop but the animal collection is extraordinary. adieu.

    • Oh darn! I will have to put le grande mosquees on my list for the next time Chris-I’ve never been there so thank you for the tip.
      Have not been to the new Deyrolles since the old premises burned down. Is it as good as it was before??

    • So true, the Mosque is just splendid. I especially loved the paradise garden courtyard, so lovely and so peaceful, all the roses, the palms, jasmine etc – and the amazing tiles, in particular the wonderful colour of the tiles along the base. From above the walkways looked like rivers of beautiful shimmering water.

      We also enjoyed the tea salon and their fabulous sticky pastries, although we had the Arabic coffee rather than the mint tea. After leaving the mosque, we followed Janelle McCullough’s advice in her great book on Paris and crossed the road to explore Le Jardin des Plantes. We were lucky that a wonderful young pianist was playing Chopin on one of the Play Me I’m Yours Pianos that were distributed around Paris after the Fete de la Musique on 21 June. Unexpected romantic treat by a superb young pianist. Best wishes, Pamela

  10. Potato chips and Cheetos–claimed many a waist! Actually the undergarments were the waist recreators as you were cinched in so tight that you couldn’t breathe much less munch! Hence the birth of the fainting couches!! Great photos and video………loved the fashions. Lucky you!

  12. O! S.P. Isn’t M.J. the cutest boy?!

    I may have been taken on a “Sophie’s Choice” train ride for a moment (music, tear stained “smokey eye”). Then I got to the place of romantic travel.

    Fabrics and trim detail…. I spy things to incorporate for our interiors.

    Cheers!

  13. What an extordinary atmospheric post ! from that clinical blue shot, the chocolate box tray of bags and the raincoat dressed nurses. Wow

  16. Dear Slim
    Great post. I too visited the Louis Vuitton and Mark Jacobs exhibitions while in Paris this year, in June. The LV historic section was so interesting – his beginnings as a trunk maker for the amazing and voluminous fashions of the day – which led to the development of the house of Louis Vuitton.

    The separate Mark Jacobs Exhibition was spectacular and it was clear how he took a house that had probably become rather staid and traditonal and revolutionised it. Literally turning it on its head. However, I found the way the women dummies were presented was quite disturbing. Women plunging head first to the ground, women whose heads disappeared into the lighting holes in the ceiling. Women with animal heads or faces that looked deformed. It’s all very cleverly presented, very original and striking, but it seemed to me that whoever put this together, and one would expect Mark Jacobs had a hand in it, had no real liking for women. My feeling was that this exhibition, striking as it was, disrespected women.

    The Yves Saint Laurent retrospective about two years ago in the Petit Palais was presented so differently. Yes, he used women as a kind of canvas or foundation for his beautiful creations but at the same time one was conscious that he was trying to help women look as beautiful, stylish and glamorous as possible. It was a superb exhibition, I just loved it and came away feeling uplifted – not disturbed. Best wishes, Pamela

    • Hi Pamela. We also found the mannequins with the animal and black cloud heads a tad disturbing, hence no photos of those. But if you think about it, Marc Jacobs has never revered women in the same way that Yves Saint Laurent did or Tom Ford does now. You need only to look at some of Jacobs ad campaigns for his own label to see that. ouch.
      Still, I thought the exhibition as a whole was very well done. I would have loved to have seen the YSL retrospective!

  18. Wonderful post as always. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – you are SUCH a gifted writer! So few words, but they leave huge impressions on my brain for the rest of the day!

  19. i love the handbag with the joke on it. priceless!
    and those hats? they kill me!
    i think high frutcose corn syrup happened to our waists.

    xo
    janet

    ps – i’m waiting for your dear slim post!
    pss – has hubby got a chance to see jack on tour?
    he’s in LA this weekend. i have extra tickets if you need them:)

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