Louis Vuitton is keeping its muses within the family.
The French house has designed a new men’s jewellery line inspired by the grandson of Louis Vuitton himself, as reported by Women’s Wear Daily. Gaston-Louis Vuitton ran the eponymous label for more than 50 years and is best remembered as an erudite inventor and discerning collector. The 18-piece collection celebrates three of his personality traits and the multifaceted nature of the modern-day man.
“I found it interesting because Gaston is really similar to men today, who are in touch with their inner selves, don’t need to be macho, are interested in the arts, collecting, cooking—things that wouldn’t have been considered appropriate 20 or 30 years ago,” Francesca Amfitheatrof, artistic director watches and jewellery at Louis Vuitton, told WWD.
Image courtesy of Louis Vuitton
The range has been aptly titled Les Gastons Vuitton as a nod to the heir’s first name and les garçons, or “the boys” in French. It is billed as a men’s collection, but the pieces can be worn by anyone irrespective of gender. In fact, Amfitheatrof likens the bling to denim jeans. “Everyone has a pair, everybody wears jeans,” she adds. “It’s about attitude, not gender.”
Image courtesy of Louis Vuitton
Fittingly, Louis Vuitton has developed a new dark-blue titanium for the line that reflects both raw denim and the navy hues in a classic wardrobe. The colour is featured in “The Creators” chapter, appearing on a puzzle ring that harkens back to the scion’s knack for designing intriguing objects. “The Collectors” chapter includes tag necklaces, signet rings, and other male jewellery staples, while “The Curious” chapter pays homage to the house’s famous trunks by adding miniature versions to bracelets, studs, and necklaces. (Gaston accumulated many trunks throughout his lifetime, and his collection contributed to building the house’s extensive archive.)
Image courtesy of Louis Vuitton
In the future, Amfitheatrof would like to reimagine more of Gaston’s quirky creations in jewellery form, including the toys he designed and built. “There are some really fun things that just look very playful that could just be turned into jewellery,” she told WWD.
Les Gastons Vuitton is available at select LV boutiques worldwide and online. The pieces range from about US$2,000 (HK$15,630) for a single Trunk diamond stud to roughly US$158,500 (HK$1.2 million) for the Masterpiece Gourmet necklace featuring more than 13 carats of white diamonds.
