A model wears a creation for Rick Owens men's Fall/Winter 2019/20 fashion collection presented in Paris, Thursday Jan.17, 2019. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Sleazy in a spacey sort of way.
Image: AP Photo/Christophe Ena
A model wears a creation for Rick Owens men's Fall/Winter 2019/20 fashion collection presented in Paris, Thursday Jan.17, 2019. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Sharp shoulders.
Image: AP Photo/Christophe Ena

At the core of Virgil Abloh’s second collection for Louis Vuitton, meanwhile, was Michael Jackson and the 1978 movie he starred in, The Wiz, a retelling of The Wizard of Oz set in New York. In an interview with Business of Fashion’s Tim Blanks, Abloh called Jackson the “ultimate muse,” and the show notes pointed to the power of his clothes, “every jacket, glove, sock and hat fashioned into an instrument of awe.”

The collection as a whole ranged more broadly, serving as Abloh’s statement on how he does tailoring, too. But the references to Jackson and The Wiz appeared in literal and subtle ways, including a print of characters from The Wiz, an Oz-ready purple look with a 1970s vibe, and the set itself, modeled after a New York City street.

Models present creations by designer Virgil Abloh as part of his Fall/Winter 2019-2020 collection show for fashion house Louis Vuitton during Men's Fashion Week in Paris, France, January 17, 2019. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes - RC19986D9A20
Welcome to Oz.
Image: Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes
A model presents a creation by designer Virgil Abloh during a preview show for his Fall/Winter 2019-2020 collection for fashion house Louis Vuitton during Men's Fashion Week in Paris, France, January 17, 2019. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes - RC158D4EE9C0
Scarecrow.
Image: Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes

A much darker movie from the 1970s—Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 adaptation of A Clockwork Orange—animated the new collection from Japanese label Undercover, created in collaboration with Italian luxury stalwart Valentino. Scenes from the film, including the face of the movie’s protagonist, Alex, his eyes forced open during his reprogramming, were splashed across several pieces. The signature bowlers of Alex and his gang mates, the droogs, who gave Undercover’s show its title, echoed in the hats on some of the models.

Creative inspiration can also come with a sense of humor, of course. The compellingly wackadoo theory that Edgar Allan Poe was a time traveler appeared in a few Undercover pieces via a graphic of Poe’s head with his face obscured by a flying saucer. Valentino used it even more prominently in its half of the collaboration.

A model wears a creation for the Valentino men's Fall/Winter 2019/20 fashion collection presented in Paris, Wednesday Jan.16, 2019. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Wackadoo.
Image: AP Photo/Thibault Camus

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