Louis Gabriel Nouchi FW23: 'American Psycho' But Make It Fashion
On a stellar cast, the designer’s dark inspirations make for a sensual line.
Each season, Louis Gabriel Nouchi tells a story through his fashion. For Fall 2022, the designer looked to Charles de Baudelaire’s 1860 novel on recreational drug use, Artificial Paradises; and for Spring 2023, he designed around Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ story of sophisticated seduction, Dangerous Liaisons. Now, for Fall 2023, Nouchi has called on a classic: Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho.
Opening the show as a creepy Christian Bale lookalike, Lucas Bravo, who depicts the sweet French chef Gabriel on Netflix’s Emily in Paris, wore a sharply-tailored coat that dramatically billowed down to the floor with a bouncy cadence. The entourage that followed him exhibited a similar dark persona, placing an emphasis on suiting — specifically, those tight at the waist and darting out at their shoulders. For a moment, latex gloves became part of the uniform, peeking out from under button-down shirts and oftentimes complementing a leather shoe.
La Grande Dame, an alumnus of Drag Race France‘s first season, made a blood-red entrance next, with thigh-high boots in a firetruck hue drawing eyes from under a black trench coat. Behind, the same vivid red drenched a one-legged T-shirt dress, straight pants and an asymmetrical top layered over a shirt and tie. The following looks proved that the designer was not looking to recreate Patrick Bateman’s wardrobe, but rather that he was galvanized by the story’s exploration of masculinity.
The White Lotus‘ Stefano Ganino (the so-called “lover” to Jennifer Coolidge’s dearly-missed Tanya) appeared in a light blue silk suit, worn over a form-hugging, semi-sheer top in a similar tone. Shortly after, Fire Island‘s Zane Phillips emerged in a comfortable grey sweater styled with baggy black trousers.
Asymmetry played a key role in tailoring tops, which often fronted cuts at their neck or one-shoulder designs; meanwhile, four looks made from a semi-transparent fabric that eerily resembled flesh marked the show’s closing. A nude-colored trench coat paired seamlessly with a V-neck shirt and tailored pants in the same tone; together, they blended with their model’s skin, just as loose-fitting iterations did in the subsequent looks. Overall, sensuality and eroticism were prioritized.
Take a look at Louis Gabriel Nouchi’s FW23 collection in the gallery above, and discover more Paris Fashion Week FW23 content on Hypebeast.
