Trendspotting for the holidays

Nicolas Ghesquière skillfully weaves his hallmark blend of historical and futuristic influences for the latest Louis Vuitton collection, this time combining 17th-century and 22nd-century looks for a woman on the move. An intriguing mix of classic tailoring and athletic elements, where his go-to of cinched waists and exaggerated shoulders on outerwear are contrasted with tailored capris and even bike shorts. The footwear, with its squared-off toes reminiscent of pointe shoes, contributed to a sense of playful elegance with fluffy textures and unexpected colorways.

Accessories further enhanced the collection’s eclectic style. The lariat necklaces, evoking the 1920s but adorned with the LV trefoil, and handbags shaped like Victorian fans, combined with sparkling cabochons adorning babydoll dresses and structured outerwear, highlighted Ghesquière's knack for layering historical allusions with contemporary flair. It’s all a suggestion to really enjoy the pieces you love — even all at once. As Ghesquière himself would have it, “If you don’t put yourself in aesthetic danger every season, you’re not playing the game of fashion.”

A capricious comeback

The circular nature of trends has us now reliving some favorites from the aughts, and leave it to Nicholas Ghesquière to make a mall-hopping favorite dashing and irreverent as a 17th century hero would wear it — cuffed and hemmed and in unexpected textiles — layered with billowy drop-waist dresses.

“Anik-anik” is here to stay

Personalizing your bags with bag charms and oversized keychains isn’t going away anytime soon, and is about to get more creative and intricate with pins across the bag’s surface — and even a completely bedazzled strap.

When longer is better

Delicate choker stacks are out. 1920 lariats, opera (35”), and even rope (54”) length necklaces are in, and combining metals, stones, and even fabrics like leather and silk is highly encouraged for a textured and interesting neckline.

For a swing to your step

We’ve had our fun with the sneakers and sexy stiletto trends of seasons past. Why not switch it up with conversation-starting footwear that’s meant not only to match but stand out? Interesting prints and colorways are key, but why not go all-out with a completely unique silhouette?

The wolf cut refined

The wolf cut on women is going strong for the coming season with its effortlessly chic and edgy layers, styled with just a dollop of mousse on air-dried hair to bring out its natural texture.

Aww, baby!

Ghesquière has played around with drop-waist silhouettes in the past season, and he’s bringing it back up, up, up again with the playful and more forgiving babydoll, styled with capris as some of us did in the 2010s.

The big and small of it

While oversized totes are back — LV has recently updated its iconic Neverfull with an inside-out feature — teeny, tiny handbags are here to stay, and their shapes are only more sculptural, impractical even. In the event you can’t even fit your large smartphone inside, your big bag definitely can. Why not tote both at once, with the small bag as an oversized bag charm?

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In the Philippines, Louis Vuitton is at Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati and The Shoppes at Solaire Resort and Casino, Paranaque.