«Balancing Opposites» - Interview with Louis Gabriel Nouchi

It is difficult to build a reputation in Paris. But Louis Gabriel Nouchi has succeeded. This is thanks to his ability to create a fashion that transcends boundaries, blending an acute reading of trends with garment design in its strictest sense while incorporating literary and identity-driven political reflections to speak to us about our world. In some ways, it is a meta-authorial fashion, one that references its creator, those who inspire him, and those he wishes to inspire—delivering precise, wearable collections that are always illuminated by a flash of avant-gardism. “I think it adds a very personal level of interpretation,” the designer told us, “I start from impressions, feelings, sensations, and I want to translate them into the world of fashion. I read a lot of novels. Not biographies or essays. I like stories. That’s also how you can build a complete and coherent universe.” His latest collection, inspired by George Orwell’s 1984, is not just a vivid example of his ability to translate literary themes into fabric in a way that resonates with contemporary audiences—it also demonstrates a singular talent for capturing the current zeitgeist and its upheavals. After all, the father of all dystopian novels, which portrays a world technologically and culturally dominated by a totalitarian “Big Brother,” has been materializing before our eyes in recent months and provided Nouchi with a solid creative foundation. When we reached him in Paris following his show, he described 1984 as a long-standing fascination: “I’ve wanted to work on this monument for years. In fact, the last three collections were created as a buildup to this theme.” Undoubtedly, his latest show touched upon contemporary themes that other designers might not have had the provocative spirit to explore: “I truly believe that when you create fashion, you are talking about society, even if it is from a personal point of view. I am fascinated by how people dress. I love sitting alone at a café terrace in Paris and watching people pass by on the street. I also love that a runway show is a ‘phantom’ of reality, a fantasy that must still remain somewhat approachable.”

Nouchi is particularly drawn to the cyclical nature of history and how past events echo in the present: “I am obsessed with the fact that you always see connections between what is happening now and a past reference, as if history were repeating itself. The choice is not accidental. It’s always outsider characters, extraordinary stories, and exceptional situations that force you to confront yourself and ask, ‘What would I have done?’” As Nouchi explained: “We start from keywords that we must translate into images, and then we translate these images into fabric and form.” The words encapsulating the novel’s essence for this season were “uniform,” “cold,” “impossible love,” “forbidden pleasures”, and “danger.” Nouchi continued: “If you extend this idea, you find all the textile and formal connotations that instantly evoke these words: lingerie, velvet, workwear, khaki, spikes for danger.” From these elements, he developed fabrics, silhouettes, and details that conjure the dark and eerily close universe of 1984. The result is a collection that merges elements inspired by lingerie, military aesthetics, and functional design, featuring fabrics such as velvet and spiked embellishments to embody both rebellion and sensuality. This perspective is fundamental to his work, as he explained, because he does not seek to reproduce every single thematic detail of a book in fashion—which would be pedantic—but rather to convey its elusive impression, that fleeting sensation, like a blink of an eye, that arises when we think of a book we have loved. For him, “books provoke intense—almost physical—emotions. That’s the feeling I try to capture.” Through his collections, which he describes as balancing on the edge of a “delicate strangeness”, Nouchi invites people to see beauty in the unexpected and embrace the power of individuality.

But literature has always been a cornerstone of Nouchi’s creative process and a defining element in the DNA of LGN. For him, stories are not merely sources of inspiration; they serve as launchpads for new reflections that allow his inquisitive mind to interpret reality. “Reading has always been my way to escape reality, invent new worlds, and dream,” he told us. Unlike films, which he finds ephemeral, books leave a lasting impression on him. “I have stronger memories from books than from films. My first Murakami, Marguerite Duras, The Lord of the Rings—they shaped my world.” Perhaps one of fashion’s most interesting avid readers, in an industry where professionals increasingly favor illustrated coffee table books over literary classics, Nouchi admitted to frequently rereading the novels that have most impacted him—something unusual for non-readers but entirely natural for those who, by digesting the written word over time, appreciate how a book’s meaning shifts and evolves as one ages and accumulates experiences. Like a coat that gradually conforms to the body of its wearer over years, a book’s interpretation also adapts. However, the metaphor he used was different: “When I reread them, I enjoy comparing my new emotions or impressions with past ones. To me, it’s exactly like a piece of clothing; you can have different interpretations of the same garment depending on how you style it, who wears it, and why.” Nouchi’s designs are characterized by the interplay of opposites, a duality he attributes to his personal experiences: “Balancing opposites is part of my personality and my life,” he shared. “I have always felt like an outsider—different, yet wanting to be integrated into society. This might explain my obsession with creating garments that are a mix between armor and refuge.” This dynamic manifests in pieces that exude both sensuality and practicality. His designs are not overtly provocative: his goal of allowing his audience and clientele to express themselves through his clothing also means rejecting the temptation of cheap shock value or superficial eroticism. “Sensuality is not something direct,” he explained. “It’s more about being comfortable and feeling confident in expressing your self-esteem to others. I think this principle aligns with people who don’t want to conform to societal expectations but still wish to express their inner selves.” This nuanced approach is particularly evident in his concept of menswear, his area of expertise, as well as a segment of the market where “the representation of the body is so rigidly coded, especially in men’s fashion, where male bodies have been boxed in for so many years. Showing skin is political because it makes unexpected parts of the body desirable.” Naturally, the brand does not reinvent its identity with each literature-inspired collection it produces—quite the opposite: “We have our own design codes: the slit, our tailored shoulder line, a specific color palette, fluidity, and inclusivity,” Nouchi explained. “I never worried about repeating, repeating, repeating… The real challenge was to consolidate and expand upon the ideas from the first season while finding a way to communicate them. Finding the right tone for communication was harder for me than designing itself, as some pieces haven’t changed since the very first collection.”

I've always felt like an outsider-different, but I wanted to be part of society. This might explain my obsession with creating pieces that are a blend of armor and refuge.

In this collection, Nouchi further explored themes of identity and protection through materials. Collaboration played a key role, particularly his partnership with Kvadrat, a Danish company known for its upholstery fabrics, which has famously collaborated with Raf Simons for years. “It’s a great way to express emotions if we can develop the fabric from the beginning. That’s why textures are so important to me. They translate into reality the keywords we have for each season.” The tailoring in this collection made use of Kvadrat’s fabrics, an homage to Nouchi’s past experiences assisting Raf Simons, where he first encountered the textile company. Additionally, the collection featured waxed leather, devoré velvets, and other materials whose textures were designed to elevate the narrative and evoke specific emotions: “Lingerie and underwear are the most intimate garments,” he explained. “They reveal our relationship with the body, comfort, and even some dress codes: for example, the fact that you never wear a garment directly on the skin but need a layer underneath to protect your intimate and fragile parts. Being without underwear is a political statement. Taking off a bra is a political act for women. Lingerie also shapes the body, and I love this idea of transforming the silhouette and emphasizing certain areas: the hips, the décolletage, the back… Lingerie makes you think of something sexy, like a more refined and polished version of a naked body. Underwear and military garments are more about comfort—they’re not meant to be exposed to the eyes of others. It’s pure functionality: you’re warmer, more comfortable, you can move more easily… and I like blending both.”

But beyond these material experiments and the pleasure of evoking and translating emotions—as well as recomposing contrasts—Nouchi’s work revolves around a precise and programmatic idea of individuality: “I hope the brand helps people be more open to themselves and to the world.” A valid hope, yet one that, with the growing success of his brand, increasing commitments, worldwide travels, and the ever-evolving state of global affairs, has created a contradiction for the designer. He admitted to us, “I’ve never been so open to the world—this year, I traveled to seven countries in a single month,” while at the same time confessing, “I’m afraid of watching the news. It’s becoming schizophrenic! The gap between the millions of visual and auditory information we consume and what we actually experience in reality is so vast. Balancing the two will be our next challenge. How do we manage our virtual ego and our real ego, as individuals and as a collective?” The discussion about technology is particularly relevant since, to add even more layers to the already rich thematic core of the show, Nouchi entrusted the composition of his paratexts—such as the soundtrack and show notes—to artificial intelligence. “I have never felt threatened or scared by technology. To me, it’s just another tool to directly express what I have in mind. I wanted to have a cold and radical point of view on the general mood of this collection—almost like a machine. But how can this mechanical approach inspire feelings of sensuality and sexiness?” the designer asked himself. He appreciates how the structured nature of AI language models can open up to chaotic yet unpredictably meaningful combinations. “I love that it’s about random, beautiful accidents that can be controlled in a certain way if you have enough knowledge. I think this could be the definition of what I do.”