Louis Vuitton heralds the return of the physical fashion show — in China

When Dior, Hermès and France’s other luxury giants unveiled their Spring-Summer 2021 collections at the online-only Paris Men’s Fashion Week last month, Louis Vuitton was conspicuous by its absence.Rather than making do with a virtual showcase, the label posted a cryptic short video, “Zoooom With Friends,” in which a squad of cartoon mascots loaded up crates on a ship setting sail along the River Seine.That shipment has now arrived — literally and metaphorically — in Shanghai.

On Thursday, Louis Vuitton revealed its new menswear collection for Spring-Summer 2021, dubbed “Message in a Bottle,” in spectacular fashion, on the banks of the Huangpu River. Although travel restrictions prevented artistic director for menswear, Virgil Abloh, from attending in person, his eclectic DNA was stamped throughout the collection, which came in streams of formal garments followed by animal-themed streetwear and bright block colors.

Lauryn Hill was beamed onto a branded shipping container for a virtual performance, which was live-streamed on Louis Vuitton’s Instagram and website. But, otherwise, this was a distinctly physical show — one on a scale rarely seen anywhere in the world since the coronavirus pandemic started disrupting the global fashion calendar back in February.

There were few face masks in sight. Audience members could be seen sitting in close proximity to one another, fanning themselves with Louis Vuitton paddles in the early evening heat. And while safety measures were taken, including temperature checks and paper-free tickets, the show marked a return to normalcy, said creative consultant and former Elle China editor, Ye Zi (also known as Leaf Greener), who was in attendance.

Spending again

The decision to eschew Paris for Shanghai may, of course, have been a practical one. Physical fashion shows are not entirely out of the question in Europe (Jacquemus, for instance, unveiled its new collection in a wheat field outside Paris), but social distancing requirements have made conventional showcases all but impossible.In China, however, many restrictions have eased, and some live events are being held. On the day of Louis Vuitton’s show, Shanghai reported just seven new cases of Covid-19, none of which had been transmitted locally, according to Chinese state media.