Life may be a grand performance, as the saying goes, and Nicolas Ghesquière seems to have designed the wardrobe for its boldest scenes. His newest Louis Vuitton cruise collection bursts with flair opulent, audacious, and vibrantly dramatic.
For the occasion, Ghesquière and the Vuitton team transported the fashion world to Avignon’s storied Palais des Papes. The site’s towering Gothic presence served as a powerful backdrop, echoing the collection’s chivalric spirit think embellished tunics, rakish cloaks, and liquid-metallic dresses reminiscent of modern-day heroines.
The accessories were show-stoppers in their own right. Booties, open-toed and sock-like, gleamed with mirrored detailing and artisanal finishes. Tall leather boots, clad in silver grommets, hinted at a rebellious streak. Even the classic Alma bag was transformed, its surface etched and gilded like a medieval manuscript a nod to the ancient art of book illumination.
It pulls from the past, but it’s not about nostalgia, and his inspirations jumped centuries and genres, from knights of legend to the glitter of glam rock icons like David Bowie and contemporary muses such as the Haim sisters, who were in attendance.
For this show, artist Es Devlin reimagined the space with a sculptural installation: rows of crimson velvet theater seats stood empty where the performers typically play, symbolically placing the audience on stage.
Among the guests were stars like Cate Blanchett, Emma Stone, Saoirse Ronan, Catherine Deneuve, Alicia Vikander, and Stacy Martin many fresh from the Cannes Film Festival as they watched Julia Nobis open the show in a deconstructed take on a knight’s battle dress, setting the tone for a visually rich journey through time and pop culture.
True to this vision, the collection shimmered with luxurious materials and intricate handwork. But not everything was ornate: pared-back pea coats, sharply tailored minis, and statement knitwear offered quieter moments of cool sophistication. Some of the fabrics, including certain jerseys, were so transformed by texture and cut that they defied easy classification.
Ghesquière also spotlighted inventive craftsmanship, teaming up with Alsace artisan Thomas Roger discovered via model Marte Mei van Haaster to create wood-framed handbags and whimsical headwear crafted from raffia.
FM
