LaQuan Smith F/W 2023.24 New York

[vogue28]

VOGUE.COM

 

[vogue28]

VOGUE.COM

 

[Lola701]

For him to talk so much about Tom Ford, this is maybe the first time where we can really see the kind of affiliation.
The sheer pieces and the inclusion of Tailoring really elevates the whole thing and add more sophistication to a partition that can be on the verge of trashiness…

Tom Ford is about walking that fine line between good taste and bad taste but it’s never « trashy ».

I’m rooting for Laquan. In a way his trajectory reminds me of Dsquared when they started womenswear. The success and the change of lifestyle influenced also their designs… When you go to chic dinners or to the embassy, you wants your muses to be fully dressed and to be able to navigate every part of their lives with your clothes on.

That being said, he needs to perfect his craft still. The tailoring needs more precision!

At least one in NYC who is consistent about his aesthetic…

 

[THD96]

It's not bad, but there is a lot to be desired.
Interestingly, he changes the stylist again it's Patti Wilson this season.

I see Tom Ford but I also see flashes of the current Mugler (must be because of the cutouts).
It's still too loud, and too much trashiness without a touch of luxury. Tom can do vulgar but he balances it out with the luxurious feeling of the cut, the materials, and the designs.
These clothes still scream "bad bit****" on IG energy but lacking in depth and refinement.

But some new elements in this collection are welcome like the tailoring. At least his clients can wear his clothes during the daytime now.
But I wish it was executed better. I still see the lack of confidence in menswear.

But the question is @Lola701 are you ready for him to be the next creative director of Tom Ford?

 

[LadyJunon]

But the question is @Lola701 are you ready for him to be the next creative director of Tom Ford?

I'm obviously not Lola, but I believe that if he works on elevatng his fabrications in the next couple of years, he could very good candidate for Ford's replacement.

 

[disco54]

Unlike other designers in NYC, he has far more scope . If he got rid of the menswear , thong-low rise pants (very trashy) , limited it 30-35 looks and focussed on these kinds of shapes I pasted below, it can really elevate and make a glamorous collection. This is why working with a stylist or muse helps immensely.

imgbox - fast, simple image host

imgbox - fast, simple image host

 

[Lola701]

But the question is @Lola701 are you ready for him to be the next creative director of Tom Ford?

He can be a candidate but he wouldn’t be my first choice. I’ve said it many times, I would love for Alexandre Vauthier to take over…Since he was supposed to be part of Tom’s studio at YSL and that I believe they have more of the same love for Glamour, he is my guy.

I want someone who has a culture of fashion but also great techniques. It’s the only way you can elevate something.
I loved the early days of Tom Ford womenswear. It was maybe opulent and over the top but there was real display of knowledge in the making of clothes…

I’m not sure that with Laquan, we will be able to move beyond the sequined column dresses.

 

[GivenchyAddict]

Some cuts give the looks some vulgarity that really not help to have this HF factor - if he wants it.

First time I am lightly pleased by his collection.

And yes Vaulthier for TF, he even has this diva ego that fits the TF aura. Love him!

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Absolutely. LaQuan lacks the wit and irreverence of Tom Ford: His is still too American nouveau-riche music industry/millionaire influencer with its Victoria’s Secret sensibility rather than the multi-generational moneyed, unadulterated decadence of Tom. Like Christopher John Rogers, his tailoring and dressmaking has impressibly improved by leagues in a very short time (…but then that vile leather pant with the logo and gold lamé shows up…).

But he’s got a long long long way to go: The furs still resemble a lesser version of Sean Combs mid-2000s rather than Tom’s Gucci, early-2000s: A shirtless jacked male torso (no matter how hot) in furs is nothing short of cheap cheese. Such tell-tale signs of common cheapness still lingers in the design components that even clever styling can’t cover up.

 

[Machinegumm]

Feels more balanced than his prior work. He's definitely improved. Yes, he still has a long way to go, but as long as he keeps going in the right direction, even if it's a slow crawl, he's doing something right.
Aiming for Tom Ford's Gucci/YSL heydays is a goal not even Tom Ford can reach most of the time.

 

[tricotineacetat]

DIOR HOMME by HEDI SLIMANE, SS'06 (source: vogue.com)



LAQUAN SMITH wearing DIOR HOMME SS'06 jacket (source: instagram)



A 1:1 copy of the jacket featured on LAQUAN SMITH'S runway (source: vogue.com

 

[tricotineacetat]

This guy is totally emblematic of a crop of new designers who, as Lola said, lack the culture of fashion and have only ever learned to research through copy/paste from tumblr or other image sources. The fact that he generates buzz when the execution falls flat and his ideas are more at a level with the likes of Christian Siriano (who probably did a better collection than this) is telling how this approach breeds designers who have nothing of their own to tell, but that the fashion landscape is at doubt willing to go with anything as long as it's loud and new.

 

[yslforever]

Aesthetics aside, I am appalled by the technical flaws: zippers, belts, lapels, sleeves, shoulders etc... all of them look terribly made. The jacket on look 26 and the trousers on look 31 are the worst I have seen in a long time.

 

[penny609]

That collection isn't tacky enough for LaQuan Smith... I'm almost disappointed.

 

[naranja]

That collection isn't tacky enough for LaQuan Smith... I'm almost disappointed.

LaQuan ran out of ideas

 

[penny609]

LaQuan ran out of ideas

It seems. I didn't mind some of his tackier, more daring pieces I saw in some previous collections. This is just basic and not in the best way.

 

[jeanclaude]

I see him more like this:

 

[Bernie Flood]

Is Carine Roitfeld styling his shows too?

 

[Urban Stylin]

A lot better than his previous shows, at least the skirts are not riding too high almost exposing everything underneath. Too many looks and elements plus still has way more club wear than a RTW collection should. I can see him at TF working with a team that may help with editing and adding some of that TF sophistication.

 

[Cocteau Stone]

I'm really not feeling this. It's good that he expanded some of his design vocabulary, but I'm not impressed. He needs to get off "fashion curator" Instagram and Twitter that pretty much post the same range of Gianni Versace, McQueen, Gucci by Tom Ford, Alaïa, Dior, YSL (i.e that bloody image of Yasmeen in that bloody skirt...) and other designer images because it is clear they're his mood board.

Also he needs to have his own pants tailored a little better.