George Orwell’s 1984 is by no means a sexy novel (that is, unless voyeurism tickles your fancy). Still, that didn’t stop LGN Louis Gabriel Nouchi from channelling the authoritative text on authoritarian regimes in his A/W 25 show, using it as a provocative statement reflecting his frustrations with today’s sociopolitical unease. Drawing inspiration from the relationship between Winston and Julia, Nouchi channels Orwell’s commentary on power, rebellion, and the loss of individuality through his sharp, sensual lens in pursuit of personal freedom.
‘It’s really about the forbiddenness of expressing your freedom and relationships with other people,’ Nouchi explained during a preview of the collection. The strength of his signature broad-shouldered overcoats evoked the usual power of LGN, while sensuality came through in lingerie, black velvet, and sheer tights. The tactility continued with pony-hair blousons and a floor-length trench coat, which seemed to invite touch, if one is brave enough to approach the pelt of Nouchi’s menacing man.
Leather, latex, and spikes turned the mysterious into the overtly kinky, evoking the enigmatic allure of nightwalkers—elusive figures on their way to (or coming from) some forbidden sexcapade. Captivating as they are intimidating. ‘It’s like the atmosphere of Charlotte Rampling in The Night Porter, Duran Duran’s The Chauffeur, and how you can express aggression through our garments.’ Androgynous tailoring provided an elegant balance, while hooded wool blankets and sheer capes grounded the collection in sophistication, still pushing the boundaries of desire and expression.
While Nouchi described the collection as his most ‘radical,’ there’s also an undeniable sense of restraint. Not least with the spiked latex collars of the avian jumpsuit, unzipped at the thigh to reveal a flash of flesh, but also in the silhouette, which was notably less exaggerated than his A/W 23 collection, inspired by another 80s literary masterpiece, American Psycho. The unbridled hedonism of the 1980s was channelled through collaborator Marc Goehring's styling.
Strength and sexuality go hand-in-hand in the LGN universe, but this season solidified defiance as a hallmark of the independent label. Defiance of socio-political structures surrounding gender identity, self-expression, and size. As one of the few menswear brands that continues to showcase diverse body types on the runway, Nouchi not only includes them in his world, but also presents them as active participants in the notion of desire.
As the world around him continues to embrace conservative politics, the urgency in challenging societal norms around gender, body, and desire was paramount for Nouchi this season. ‘I’m really pissed. I’m really angry, to be honest,' he explains. 'In the end, it's really a way for me to express my anger. To transform this bad energy into something that will hopefully move things forward'. With every garment, he defies convention, turning restraint into an act of rebellion and presenting an unabashed vision of personal freedom in a world that seems to demand conformity.
