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Fashion Notes By Steven Hempel W hereas Texas has only two real seasons — hot and less so — the fashion calendar continues its unabated march toward seasons to come. I, for one, relish the season at hand as the heat fades, the bugs take a break, and the city feels … pleasant? Let's take a moment to enjoy what is already here … then turn our attention to the myriad events that take place every fall, as the fashion world looks ahead to summer days. A Look at the World of Vuitton As we know, it's a Vuitton world; we just live in it. The fashion giant has launched three new initiatives worthy of your attention. First, we look at the latest and greatest works by master perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud and legendary architect Frank Gehry. Launched last month, Myriad, part of the Les Extraits Collection, is the latest scent to be realized by the two artists and is inspired by the expansion of the universe — which, oddly, is said to smell like metal when welded. But this scent is grounded by earthly ingredients, taking its notes from the spicy essence of Assam wood harvested in Bangladesh, balanced by rose, saffron, cocoa extract, ambrette, white musk, and a final touch of moss. For the vessel, Gehry created a dynamic, fluid form that stretches lines into curves to create an imagined flower, its foundation shaped by a sheet of aluminum crumpled in his hands. The result is organic yet sculptural and unexpectedly beautiful, like many of his creations. Next, we turn our attention to the delightful Artycapucines collection. Now in its fifth season, Vuitton once again invited artists to reinterpret the elegant Capucines bag. The results are, as we've come to expect, nothing less than extraordinary, ranging from thoughtful and serious to whimsical and fun, with each bag taking on the personality of the artist whose work embellishes it. Ewa Juszkiewicz and Billie Zangewa incorporated personal works into their bags, with Zangewa incorporating The Swimming The Seasons May Change, but the Wheels Keep on Turning Lesson (2020) for a trompe l'oeil effect through printing, embroidery, and visible hand-stitching, while Juszkiewicz embedded her painting Ginger Locks (2021) in her bag while accentuating it with a string of golden pearls. Painting duo Tursic & Mille layered images to create a floral shape that changes the perception of the bag, while artist Ziping Wang created Sweet Tooth, to conjure childhood memories of receiving a tasty treat. Lastly, American artist Liza Lou used colorful beadwork to give her bag a patchwork effect. The five newcomers join the extremely limited collection of Artycapucines. Find them online at louisvuitton.com. A recap of Vuitton would be incomplete without mentioning their latest women's wear offerings. Spring/ Summer 2024 debuted at 103 avenue des Champs-Elysées, the site of Elysée Palace, the first major hotel on the famous street that would later become headquarters of banking giant H S B C . T h e A r t Nouveau space, up until recently earmarked as Dior's new HQ but now intended for other uses, was draped in fabrics to spectacular effect by production designer James Chinlund, who conceptualized the show scenography in collaboration with Spanish production agency Penique. The latter's ephemeral installations use inflatable balloon-like structures that grow and expand to fill the space and transform it with a new light texture color, giving them a sense of the familiar even while seeming otherworldly. It's a trick on our senses that must be seen to be understood. This was the backdrop against which Vuitton creative director Nicolas Ghesquière launched the house's latest works — a collection of graphic stripes and sophisticated motifs fused with Vuitton's vintage stylistic cues, blending textures and weighted fabrics and knits with the house's signature motifs. Clockwise from top left: James Chinlund's scenography in collaboration with Spanish production agency Penique, for Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2024. Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2024. Artycapucines fifth collection. Myriad fragrance, part of the Les Extraits Collection, is inspired by the expansion of the universe. 26