If there is one thing we know, it is that the Louis Vuitton maison loves to play on contradictions, mixing austere and extremely chic styles and pieces with ironic and pop character.
The creative minds of the brand have proposed trompe l’oeil plastic bags, hamburger and pizza boxes, alphabet-shaped trunks and many other eccentric accessories.
But perhaps the creative director of Louis Vuitton women’s clothing Nicolas Ghesquière has finally outdone himself by including an accessory in the Autumn/Winter 2023 collection that certainly could not go unnoticed.
We are talking about the Illusion LV ankle boots. Available in ankle and knee heights, along with two leather tones, these ambiguous trompe l’oeil heeled boots are designed to mimic the effect of a leg wearing a pair of black pumps with LV-branded white socks.
Despite their fun appearance, the boots proposed by the French brand have more serious and significant work behind them than it seems. As well as the entire FW23 collection of which they are part, the Illusion boots are inspired by surrealist art.
They have a manufacturing process that requires scrupulous precision in convincingly painting the ribbed details of the sock, the shine of the heel and therefore giving the trompe l’oeil effect which makes them almost like a prosthetic leg.
Priced at $2,470 USD, the Illusion Boots are made from calf leather and hand-painted to create the optical illusion effect. Each pair comes complete with rear zip closures and leather soles.
Down the catwalk together with many other particular creations including sleeves that scrape the ground, dresses that transform into coats and rigid masks with a square shape, the shoes camouflaged themselves quite harmoniously in the context of the entire collection. Seeing them separately from the rest of the LV line instead enhances their impactful and avant-garde design, giving a more concrete idea of how complex the model proposed by the maison is.
For lovers of art and luxury oddities, the Illusion model is already available in boutiques and on the Louis Vuitton website in its two versions, High Boot and Ankle Boot.
