Jacobs Takes Gothic Turn at Louis Vuitton

By Joelle Diderich

PARIS (Reuters) - Fashion and music have never been more closely linked, a fact underlined on Sunday when American designer Marc Jacobs unveiled his autumn-winter collection for Louis Vuitton inspired by White Stripes drummer Meg White.

Even as singers from Beyonce Knowles to Gwen Stefani launch their own clothing lines, the raven-haired White has spawned legions of imitators who dress in her Gothic uniform of red, white and black.

With the White Stripes hit "Seven Nation Army" blasting over the speakers, models paraded down a fake snow catwalk encased in blocks of real ice wearing red tartan coats, bustled skirts and fur stoles with a vintage Victorian feel.

A white sheared mink jacket topped a blood red velvet dress set off by a velvet choker with tiny hearts dangling from gold chains. A moss green bustier dress with a tiered ruffle skirt was topped with an ermine stole.

Vuitton this year celebrates its 150th anniversary with business booming thanks to a series of hit accessories like the cult Murakami bag, which generated $300 million in sales alone.

Next autumn, the house's monogram luggage will be available in decadent mink or carpet fabric printed with padlocks and chains in a wink to surrealist designer Elsa Schiaparelli.

"I loved it. I thought the detail was great, very romantic," said Anita Pallenberg, former partner of Rolling Stone Keith Richards, who shared cigarettes in the front row with her old friend Marianne Faithfull.

She said some of the outfits reminded her of eccentric British designer Vivienne Westwood, who started fashion's love affair with music back in the 1970s with her bondage-inspired creations for the Sex Pistols punk band.

LANVIN'S BOUDOIR ENCOUNTER

Alber Elbaz added depth to his sweetly romantic vision at Lanvin, juxtaposing boudoir staples like rippling silk negliges with military-style men's coats to hint at illicit encounters.

A model posed under a Murano glass chandelier as a young man peeled off her coat, then the outer layer of her black chiffon dress, to leave her standing in a plain black velvet shift with pale pink satin ribbon straps.

A similar transformation was operated on a short dress gathered in a billowing curtain at the back. With a snap of a button, it unfurled into a simple long train.

Boxy gray flannel coats, some with shoulder tabs, contrasted with loose evening dresses in frayed strips that looped around the body. A black velvet man's dressing down, meanwhile, was worn as a coat with a diamond brooch.

It is this sense of low-key refinement that has made Elbaz a favorite with young Hollywood stars like Liv Tyler and Chloe Sevigny. With British style icon Kate Moss sitting in the front row, it is safe to bet Lanvin's fan base will continue to grow.