It’s very easy to dismiss – and even dislike – Nicolas Ghesquière’s contemporary work. His vision for Louis Vuitton feels so far removed from any broadly accepted notion of good taste, and so detached from the mainstream trend cycle, that it can easily be written off as a mad hatter’s prank. It’s worth noting, however, that not every designer enjoys the luxury of creating ready-to-wear that does not necessarily have to sell. At Vuitton, Nicolas seems to possess virtually boundless freedom to experiment, with little visible pressure placed upon him.

Of all the destination shows we’ve seen this month – Chanel’s Biarritz extravaganza, Dior’s take on Hollywood, and Gucci’s invasion of Times Square – Ghesquière’s New York presentation at the Frick Collection was probably the least eventful in terms of Instagram appeal, yet the most complex from a design perspective. Every look proposes an idea that attempts to reinvent the wheel – sometimes with promise, sometimes veering spectacularly off course.

What he does with scuba-inspired constructions, ornamented with an idiosyncratic bricolage of Edwardian ruffles, is genuinely splendid. The Keith Haring prints, however, come across as unapologetically tacky. There are Annie Hall hats; Alana Haim dressed like a character straight out of “The Panic in Needle Park“; and then Gilded Age cameos emerging through ruffles swirling around necks above lace bodices. It’s excessive – and that’s before even mentioning the 1980s-inspired, shoulder-padded dresses layered over clouds of tulle. If Hanna Horvath was a trust fund baby, she would love Louis Vuitton.

Nothing here entirely works, but then again, this is New York: a metropolis that fuses together countless walks of life into one overwhelming whole. Perhaps that is the collection’s real point. Whatever the case, Nicolas’s understanding of fashion challenges both the eye and the mind in a way that is almost nauseatingly stimulating.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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