Louis Vuitton seems to have a fascination with bridges.

Louis Vuitton, a leading luxury brand, has shown a fascination with bridges in recent years. In 2018, the brand hosted its cruise show in Kyoto at the Miho Museum, where models emerged from the mountains to walk down a suspension bridge. And now, in 2023, Louis Vuitton has decamped to Seoul, where they used Jamsugyo Bridge as the backdrop for their pre-fall 2023 show.

Perhaps it’s the way bridges stand out against their surroundings, a pre-made catwalk of sorts, or maybe it’s the metaphorical journey from one side to the other that inspired creative director Nicolas Ghesquière to unveil his pre-fall 2023 offering along the bridge. With a set designed by none other than Squid Game director Hwang Dong-Hyuk, the show was truly a metaphorical bridge, closing the gap between Seoul and Paris, East and West, past and future.

The tensions between these two worlds created something culturally and sartorially harmonious rather than disparate. The show opened with Squid Game superstar and Louis Vuitton ambassador Hoyeon Jung in a royal blue windbreaker tucked into an A-line leather miniskirt, holding an XL Alma bag in a cherry red hue. This look set the tone for the juxtapositions Ghesquière explored throughout the collection.

Taking cues from his latest spring/summer show and the deep history of the brand’s trunk-making expertise, Ghesquière continued his play with proportion, particularly via exaggerated luggage clasps as belts and giant tags made into bags, creating whimsical tricks of the eye that ground the ready-to-wear in savoir-faire that is almost 200 years old. The rest of the assortment reflected cool Korean street style and the sharp tailoring and high shoulders that Ghesquière is known for, like his signature cropped billowing tops, strict suiting, and overcoats in pinstripes and checkerboard patterns.

The trademark colors of Louis Vuitton – rich reds, blues, yellows – were countered by blacks, whites, and beiges, giving doses of color and reprieve, respectively, with no one pattern or hue overwhelming the others. Chunky shoes grounded all the looks, adding an air of toughness to the quiet luxury-inspired linen outfits.

In summary, the Louis Vuitton pre-fall 2023 collection showcased on Jamsugyo Bridge in Seoul was a celebration of the tension between East and West, past and future, that resulted in a culturally and sartorially harmonious collection. The assortment reflected cool Korean street style and Ghesquière’s signature design aesthetic, with whimsical tricks of the eye that ground the ready-to-wear in the brand’s almost 200-year-old savoir-faire. The collection’s trademark colors were beautifully balanced with chunky shoes grounding all the looks.