Louis Vuitton will open a new store in Place Vendôme sometime soon. That made me breathe a sigh of relief. Its latest men’s collection, designed by Paul Helbers and shown at the start of the Paris fall collections this week, may look austerity-minded in its drab tones and dense layers, but we all know the [...]

Louis Vuitton will open a new store in Place Vendôme sometime soon. That made me breathe a sigh of relief. Its latest men’s collection, designed by Paul Helbers and shown at the start of the Paris fall collections this week, may look austerity-minded in its drab tones and dense layers, but we all know the customer for this kind of deluxe understatement isn’t affected by the European Union’s troubles, though maybe that’s an optimistic statement.

Mr. Helbers said that his collection of granddad cardigans, washed corduroys and band-collar shirts was influenced by the Amish, with “a hint of strangeness” supplied by David Lynch. Mr. Lynch is always good for that sort of thing. The Amish element immediately registered — all those plain-looking jackets and coats closed with hook and eyes rather than showy buttons. Travel bags and small satchels in a vaguely lurid shade called “motel red” qualified as Lynchian, I suppose.