Louis Gabriel Nouchi has us accustomed to seeing all types of guys (hunks, otters, bears, twinks, and everyone in-between and outside of these) strut down the runway. But for the Fall/Winter 2024 collection, the Paris-based designer incorporated, for the first time in his history, womenswear – sported by, among others, queen of posing, Coco Rocha. Titled Bel Ami, the new LGN collection is inspired by Guy the Maupassant’s homonymous book and studies the codes of power, money, and social status through power dressing at its best. As the character wants (and achieves) to climb the social ladder to reach the top, we thought we might do the same and infiltrated backstage with Crush Services and photographer Iulia Matei.
First, we need some context: de Maupassant’s book happes in the 19th century, hence the clothes in this collection. Long coats and trenches are a given a modern twist that resemble capes from the era’s bourgeoisie. Black prevails in almost every look but there are also hints of grey, white, navy, and even a full look in vibrant gold, which speaks of the codes of opulence and money, the main theme of Bel Ami (both the book and the LGN collection). Speaking of money, the designer has teamed up with La Monnaie de Paris and created a custom coin that’s been turned into jewellery and accessories. Bling, bling, bitches!
