Latest news with #Ghesquière
Graziadaily
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Graziadaily
All Of These Mega A-Listers Just Went To This Incredible Louis Vuitton Show
It takes some confidence to shut down a 14th century fortress and now-certified UNESCO World Heritage site, as Louis Vuitton's creative director Nicolas Ghesquière did last night for his Cruise 2026 show. But then again, when you've spent over a decade at the helm of the world's biggest luxury fashion house, you can afford to dream big. After all, that's quite an achievement in an industry currently witnessing so many designer shake-downs (the latest of which relating to Pierpaolo Piccioli and Balenciaga) it's beginning to resemble a very glamorous game of musical chairs – just with much, much higher stakes. For the comfortable-but-never-complacent Nicolas Ghesquière, then, annual Cruise shows are a chance to reinforce the brand's heritage and indulge his personal love of architectural wonder. Palais des Papes – the largest Gothic building of the Middle Ages and home to six papal conclaves throughout the 1300s – delivered both. A place of huge cultural significance in Provence, Ghesquière had visited it the summer of 2000 for Festival d'Avignon and seen a series of contemporary artists, including a performance by Bjork, take place in the palace's historic amphitheatre. The stage was set for a Louis Vuitton takeover, quite literally. 'Fashion, all the more so today, is theatrical too — a spectacle and performance aspect. To show in this setting truly means taking the stage,' Ghesquière told Grazia . Working with artist Es Devlin, Ghesquière flipped the traditional fashion show on his head by seating the guests on stage while leaving rows of red-chaired tiers around the stage empty – until the spectacular finale, that is, when the models took their places in the stalls looking down at the guests below. 'Who is watching whom? It brings yet another perspective to the scene,' said Ghesquière. It was a clever touch, particularly when the front row of a Louis Vuitton show brings almost as much excitement as the clothes. Ghesquière's gang of girls were all represented: Sophie Turner and Alicia Vikander at one end of an ornate wooden pew that made up the front row, Emma Stone, Saoirse Ronan and filmmaker Ava DuVernay at the other. In between was long-term Ghesquière disciple Cate Blanchett, who dug around in her wardrobe to rewear one of her favourite looks: leather trousers and a draped blouse with embroidered trim. As the first model hit the smoke-filled runway in a patterned minidress that resembled a suit of armour, it was clear how much the location had influenced the collection. This was Medieval-Core. Sculptural caped-dresses that wouldn't have been out of place at a jousting match appeared to a soundtrack of horses hooves galloping; brocade dress-coats that looked like tapestries came trimmed with faux fur cuffs and collars; velvet jackets and party minis came in jewel colours, accessorised with ornate scarves that were whipped up by the wind. Open-toed gladiator boots came studded and covered in shards of glass; nods to chainmail were everywhere: most obviously embellishing knitwear, most beautifully in a series of maxi gowns that had the A-list lifting up their phones to photograph. 'Sometimes you need fairy tales and legends in your life,' Ghesquière had said backstage of wanting this collection to empower women. 'It is very much a reflection on the role clothing plays. Onstage, it takes on the full dimension of theatre, projecting an image and charisma, accentuating a style and character. It accompanies, supports and empowers.' Cate Blanchett at the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2026 show Whilst the Hollywood elite – who have shown how important Ghesquière's clothing is this month in Cannes – to command presence on red carpets will welcome this, the designer says there's a lesson for us all here. 'The theatricality of clothing is a fascinating subject, and stage presence offers an inexhaustible source of inspiration. It brings an added aura. But whether the clothing is for everyday or a spotlight, it conveys a measure of confidence, assurance or reassurance, a clue about one's personality.' Which is why, pick apart the theatrical pieces, and you also saw plenty of leather jackets, silver-flecked knitwear and jackets for the non-medieval Louis Vuitton woman to wear on the street when it hits in November. No wonder that, as the models took their seats for the finale, the audience rose to give a standing ovation. As Ghesquière took in the applause, Brigitte Macron, France's First Lady, broke ranks to give him a celebratory hug, paying homage to the saint of French fashion. The message? Catholics may have the Pope; France has Nicolas Ghesquière. Long may he reign. Hattie Brett's first job in journalism was editorial assistant of Grazia – and in 2018, she returned to the brand as Editor-In-Chief. That means she oversees all the editorial content, across print, digital and social. She loves campaigning on issues that really matter to her audience, for example calling on the governmentto hold an inquiry into the cost and accessibility of childcare. Her work commissioning, editing and creating content for Grazia's woman across everything from fashion to interiors and politics, won her BSME Editor of the Year in 2022. Prior to her current role, she has worked in women's media for almost 20 years, launching and editing a website for millennial women The Debrief before working as Deputy Lifestyle Director at The Telegraph across fashion, beauty and luxury.
Fashion Network
23-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Vuitton CEO Pietro Beccari on driving luxury, staying loyal to designers, and managing 'the best creative duo in our industry'
No one could fault Louis Vuitton or its CEO, Pietro Beccari, for a lack of timing. This Thursday, the house staged a brilliant chevalier-chic Cruise collection inside the Palais des Papes in Avignon, just two weeks after the world focused on the election of the latest pope, Leon XIV, in the Vatican. Staged inside the remarkable fortified Gothic palace, it was a stellar show incorporating heraldic emblems, jousting motifs, medieval mode, and sleek slices of creative director Nicolas Ghesquière 's signature techy sportswear. It also marked the latest Cruise show staged by Ghesquière inside an iconic location, though most of them tend to be expressions of 20th-century optimism, not 13th-century theological power. Previous Cruise shows have been staged at the space-age Bob & Dolores Hope Estate in Palm Springs; the flying saucer MAC by Oscar Niemeyer in Rio; or Eero Saarinen's TWA Terminal in New York. The show also comes at a busy moment for the brand. This spring, it opened its latest uber-flagship in Milan. Last month, it debuted its new alliance with Formula One at the opening race of the season in Melbourne. Last week, it reopened its restaurant in Saint-Tropez, part of a burgeoning LV culinary division encompassing nearly a dozen restaurants and bars. Vuitton is both the largest and most profitable brand within luxury behemoth LVMH, which last year suffered a slight slip in revenues to a still whopping €84.7 billion. The group does not break out revenues per brand, but Louis Vuitton's are easily in excess of €20 billion. So, the show felt like a smart moment to catch up with Louis Vuitton's CEO, Pietro Beccari. A hard-charging Italian known for his intense energy, Beccari has had a remarkable career, with three stints as CEO: first at Fendi with Karl Lagerfeld as designer; then at Dior with Maria Grazia Chiuri and Kim Jones; and now with Vuitton with Ghesquière and Pharrell Williams. Moreover, though this is a rough calculation, it's very likely true to say that over the past two decades, no CEO of elite fashion and luxury brands has racked up a faster rate of growth than Beccari. Fashion Network: Why has Louis Vuitton decided to come to Avignon? Pietro Beccari: We are here because we were looking for somewhere that valorizes France since Vuitton is a French brand. Plus, Nicolas liked the idea of doing something that had never been done—a first show in the Palais des Papes—somewhere where the beauty of the architecture is exceptional. FN: Coming to the Palais des Papes is a significant architectural change for Nicolas, who favored modernist buildings in many Cruise shows. Why the radical change in direction? PB: I am not so sure about that. Recall that when we showed at Isola Bella in Italy, under the rainbow before a fabulous building, that was a pretty classic work of architecture. And finally, the show is very timely. We just have a new pope. And we are in the palace of the popes. It would be hard to have better timing! FN: Why does Cruise remain so important for Louis Vuitton? PB: Cruise is important as it shows outside the seasons and in Paris. It allows us to invite the right people—the press, influencers, and the creative community—to witness something new, to see a collection inspired by a location. That is very important from the point of view of communication. Business-wise, the collection goes in stores in November and stays until February/March, which makes it a long collection that includes the Christmas period. So, it is pretty important for us in terms of business. FN: Vuitton boasts two very striking, yet also pretty diverse, creative directors: Nicolas Ghesquière and Pharrell Williams. What is the secret to managing and juggling such dynamic talent? PB: Maybe you should ask them! I'll tell you what I believe—they are very different, that is true. But I also think I have the best creative duo in our industry. Thanks to them, our brand has two strong voices and two great creative points of view. And Vuitton is a giant brand. So, I think that is very healthy and that they complement each other and that this is inspiring for them both. Especially as we have very big businesses for men and women, having two perspectives is great. Yes, their characteristics are totally different. Pharrell is a multi-talented artist from music and cinema. He is a musical entrepreneur with very refined taste, ever since the time of Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel. He is a celebrated dandy, as we were reminded of at the recent Met Ball. While Nicolas is one of the greatest couturiers—and one of the last couturiers—as he still designs by hand. He is someone who was born to make great fashion. He is really a true creative director, 100%. So, I think his mélange of lifestyle and pure style and creation is making a pure and explosive impact. Difficult to handle, yes, difficult to handle. FN: We are about to go through four months of shows: menswear and women's wear in Milan and Paris in June and September and couture in Paris in July, where over a dozen new creative directors will be in some of Europe's greatest houses. PB: And counting! FN: Yes, and my question is: do you think there is something to be said for being loyal to a designer? Can that longevity be smart? PB: Well, now, we are in a period of time when people think that changing a designer is the right strategy. Apparently so. But I just re-signed Nicolas for the next five years. So, in a real sense, I believe in a long-term relationship. Karl Lagerfeld was working with me the whole time I was at Fendi. In the end, he was there for 60 years! When I arrived at Fendi, we did not change that. When I arrived at Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri was there, and I didn't change. And we worked together and had a great deal of success. Now, I did introduce a little novelty in menswear—with Kim Jones at Dior and Pharrell here at Vuitton. But I think most of the time, in my own personal business experiences, I believe in long love stories. FN: We live in an era obsessed with experiential. Just this week, you reopened the Vuitton restaurant in Saint-Tropez. That makes nearly 10 cafés and restaurants. Why have you focused so much on your culinary community? PB: People don't just want to buy a bag and go home. It's about telling stories—beautiful stories. I believe a brand of such size as Vuitton cannot afford to just be selling bags; it must be a marque of reference and lifestyle and enter into that upper array of brands of culture. Apple is a brand of culture to me, and Vuitton is a cultural brand. That is our force—whether it's acting as a publisher, through collaborations with artists, or through our incredible collaborations with architects in our great stores, like the one we just opened in Milan—so that our customers understand more and more that we are a brand of culture. Our restaurants are part of that. And from what I see, our restaurants and cafés from New York to Milan are having great success. FN: Why does Vuitton seem to do so well amid a global turndown in luxury and a tricky moment for fashion? PB: Well, I think the trick is not to lose your nerve like in Formula One, where we have been busy. When I see the curve, I like to accelerate and go faster. So, managing Vuitton, I don't like to slow down. In luxury, you have to be prepared to take risks if you want to get anywhere. FN: What would be your advice to anyone wanting a career in luxury management? PB: First of all, you have to overwork everyone else. I just told my daughter, who just started a job in New York, that you must work harder than the others. And when the others stop, keep working. In my view, success is 10% talent and 90% sacrifice, application, and dedication. It's about being a little like a maniac with everything. That's what makes someone successful—or at least, that's the advice I would give.
Vogue Singapore
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
Vogue's best looks from the Louis Vuitton cruise 2026 show Vogue Singapore
Show review in a sentence: Carrying the grandeur of theatre and the arts into the future Designer: Nicolas Ghesquiére Location: Palais des Papes, Avignon The vibe: Modern-day templars, crusaders, priests, and knights took to the runway with extraordinary flair. Tunics were embroidered to mimic the look of armour, while chain mail appeared as bib and in the form of a dangling belt detail—bringing a striking edge to Ghesquière's signature boxy silhouettes. Renaissance-style ormolu mirrors were reimagined as peep-toe boots, turning reflective opulence into wearable art. Even the iconic Sac Alma was transformed, fully embossed and gilded to resemble a relic one might unearth in the storied halls of the palace. It's astounding how Ghesquière consistently takes ideas that could so easily tip into theatrical excess and instead distills them into a collection that is both reverent and boldly forward-thinking—something I consider to be a true sartorial triumph. The vision: A sensory awakening, driven by the tension between uprooting and reverence, is the essence of deracination, and it's a dynamic that Nicolas Ghesquière masterfully explores through his tenure at Louis Vuitton. His creative genius lies in the interplay between the new and the storied, where innovation meets deeply rooted heritage. From the Cour Lefuel arches built right at the heart of the Louvre in 2018 to the medieval grandeur of Isola Bella in 2024, Ghesquière continues to orchestrate breathtaking contrasts. Now, we stand before yet another remarkable setting: the Palais des Papes. A formidable fortress and one of the most exceptional examples of medieval gothic architecture in Europe, this UNESCO world heritage site sets the stage for a dialogue between fashion and history, past and future. The show opened to the commanding blare of trumpets, with William Sheller's Excalibur setting a dramatic, regal tone for Louis Vuitton's cruise 2026 presentation. The spirit of theatre and the arts illustrated by the models emerging one by one, striding through an amphitheatre lined with empty crimson chairs—a haunting, cinematic tableau. In a bold inversion of traditional staging, the guests were seated not as spectators, but at the heart of the legendary stage itself, becoming part of the entire scenography. 'Who is watching whom? It brings yet another perspective to the scene,' Ghesquière mused backstage—underscoring his play with perception, space, and the roles we inhabit. What to shop from this collection: There was an overwhelming richness to take in this evening at Louis Vuitton, where no detail was spared in the pursuit of the gilded, the crafted, and the exquisitely embellished. The trick, really, is to break the collection into two distinct lenses. The first: pieces that feel like art objects in their own right. The strongest among them, the embossed flannel coat in Look 3, adorned with a flame motif inspired by heraldic designs found on traditional coats of arms—a nod to medieval iconography. Then there were the metallic-embroidered dresses in Looks 18 and 21, which evoked the regal presence of armoured cloaks. And, lest we forget, the embossed Sac Alma, rendered in a spectrum of rich hues, each one resembling a relic forged with ceremonial intent. The second lens is wearability—how these designs move beyond spectacle and into the realm of personal style. Standouts here include the gold lamé dress with sharp black graphic cut-outs (Look 14), which balanced the whimsy of a minstrel with the strength of a warrior. Equally compelling was the laser-cut leather dress in a deep burgundy wash—a modern take on a Josephine silhouette that felt both romantic and sharply contemporary. Alessandro Lucioni 1 / 12 Look 1 Alessandro Lucioni 2 / 12 Look 3 Alessandro Lucioni 3 / 12 Look 7 Alessandro Lucioni 4 / 12 Look 9 Alessandro Lucioni 5 / 12 Look 14 Alessandro Lucioni 6 / 12 Look 18 Alessandro Lucioni 7 / 12 Look 21 Alessandro Lucioni 8 / 12 Look 30 Alessandro Lucioni 9 / 12 Look 35 Alessandro Lucioni 10 / 12 Look 40 Alessandro Lucioni 11 / 12 Look 41 Alessandro Lucioni 12 / 12 Look 44
Fashion Network
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Louis Vuitton stages conclave cruise show inside Avignon's Palais des Papes
Two weeks after a conclave elected a new pope in the Vatican, on Thursday evening in Avignon, Louis Vuitton staged a fashion conclave cruise show inside the city's Palais des Papes. 'Feminine knights. Arthurian legends,' smiled Vuitton's creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, in a pre-show preview of his heraldic expression of medieval mode-meets-tech futurism. Ghesquière built a huge web of scaffolding to support 450 guests on an elevated set inside a papal palace's Grand Cour, a massive interior courtyard. Pre-show, his signature Japanese gongs chimed every 30 seconds suggesting the calm before the storm. Nicolas opened the action with chivalric chic. Cape dresses with single arms were shaped like inverted shields and finished in jousting colors. A brilliant, magnified monogram cocktail in silver and anthracite sequins was topped by black leather shoulder armor. Space age chevaliers marched in flat-soled boots made of patchwork mirrors or heraldic motifs. If Chevalier Bayard were a woman this is what he would have liked to wear. Appearing in woolen gowns finished with fiery "Game of Thrones" motifs; sexy jacquard cocktails with fur trimmed pockets; or beautiful sparkling chiffon-gathered gowns. Maid Marion on the rampage. Many models sporting hair waxed down like shorn skull-caps, Joan of Arc on trial. As the music soared throughout climaxing with "Excalibur" by William Sheller, like the mythical sword cutting through the chilly spring evening caused by a strong mistral wind. Altogether, a superbly fresh fashion vision by Ghesquière, utilizing medieval ideas even as he subverted and reinvented them, in one of his greatest shows for Vuitton. Guests sat on conclave-worthy wooden chairs finished in cardinal's red as the cast marched along an illuminated catwalk. The models entered the set seemingly out of a gothic tower parading on an elevated runway before eventually posing on a vast flank of 20 rows of empty red cinema seats. The cast and audience all contained within the limestone palace-meets-fortress that was once the center of the papacy. For 67 years, until 1376, seven popes resided in Avignon, after a conflict between the Vatican and France and a deadlocked conclave allowed Philip IV to pressure the cardinals into accepting the Archbishop of Bordeaux as pope Clement V. It was during this period, that pope Benoît XII began building the palace in 1335. A truly rare and magnificent medieval complex with cloisters, cobblestone lanes, steep stone stairs, spires and scores of gothic windows, the Palais des Papes was officially listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list 30 years ago, a recognition this show celebrated. These days, the palace also acts as the nerve center of the Festival d'Avignon, the greatest French language annual theatre celebration. The show was the first-ever inside the palace, and marked a shift for Ghesquière from the epoch-marking locations of his previous cruise shows: the space age Bob & Dolores Hope Estate in Palm Springs; the flying saucer MAC by Oscar Niemeyer in Rio; or Eero Saarinen's TWA Terminal in New York. Pre-show, stars mingled in a separate courtyard, Le Cour de Clôture - Emma Stone, Jaden Smith, Chloe Moretz, Cate Blanchett, Felix Lee, Pharrell Williams, Saoirse Ronan, Catherine Deneuve, and Alicia Vikander. Sipping champagne to sounds that mashed up eras and genres, just like Nicolas' fashion. The sound of the 70s - from Gerry Rafferty's classic ballad "Right Down the Line" to Bologna-based electronic disco, "Shadows From Nowhere" by Blue Gas. Post-show, the fare was simple but succulent: risotto cooked in huge hollowed-out wheels of parmigiana, washed down by Ruinart champagne. Back in the 14th century, they called the seven decades when the popes resided in Avignon the Babylonian Captivity. This evening, it felt like Nicolas Ghesquière had freed up a lot of ideas and liberated multiple minds. No one felt captive at this fashion conclave.
Fashion Network
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Louis Vuitton stages conclave cruise show inside Avignon's Palais des Papes
Two weeks after a conclave elected a new pope in the Vatican, on Thursday evening in Avignon, Louis Vuitton staged a fashion conclave cruise show inside the city's Palais des Papes. 'Feminine knights. Arthurian legends,' smiled Vuitton's creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, in a pre-show preview of his heraldic expression of medieval mode-meets-tech futurism. Ghesquière built a huge web of scaffolding to support 450 guests on an elevated set inside a papal palace's Grand Cour, a massive interior courtyard. Pre-show, his signature Japanese gongs chimed every 30 seconds suggesting the calm before the storm. Nicolas opened the action with chivalric chic. Cape dresses with single arms were shaped like inverted shields and finished in jousting colors. A brilliant, magnified monogram cocktail in silver and anthracite sequins was topped by black leather shoulder armor. Space age chevaliers marched in flat-soled boots made of patchwork mirrors or heraldic motifs. If Chevalier Bayard were a woman this is what he would have liked to wear. Appearing in woolen gowns finished with fiery "Game of Thrones" motifs; sexy jacquard cocktails with fur trimmed pockets; or beautiful sparkling chiffon-gathered gowns. Maid Marion on the rampage. Many models sporting hair waxed down like shorn skull-caps, Joan of Arc on trial. As the music soared throughout climaxing with "Excalibur" by William Sheller, like the mythical sword cutting through the chilly spring evening caused by a strong mistral wind. Altogether, a superbly fresh fashion vision by Ghesquière, utilizing medieval ideas even as he subverted and reinvented them, in one of his greatest shows for Vuitton. Guests sat on conclave-worthy wooden chairs finished in cardinal's red as the cast marched along an illuminated catwalk. The models entered the set seemingly out of a gothic tower parading on an elevated runway before eventually posing on a vast flank of 20 rows of empty red cinema seats. The cast and audience all contained within the limestone palace-meets-fortress that was once the center of the papacy. For 67 years, until 1376, seven popes resided in Avignon, after a conflict between the Vatican and France and a deadlocked conclave allowed Philip IV to pressure the cardinals into accepting the Archbishop of Bordeaux as pope Clement V. It was during this period, that pope Benoît XII began building the palace in 1335. A truly rare and magnificent medieval complex with cloisters, cobblestone lanes, steep stone stairs, spires and scores of gothic windows, the Palais des Papes was officially listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list 30 years ago, a recognition this show celebrated. These days, the palace also acts as the nerve center of the Festival d'Avignon, the greatest French language annual theatre celebration. The show was the first-ever inside the palace, and marked a shift for Ghesquière from the epoch-marking locations of his previous cruise shows: the space age Bob & Dolores Hope Estate in Palm Springs; the flying saucer MAC by Oscar Niemeyer in Rio; or Eero Saarinen's TWA Terminal in New York. Pre-show, stars mingled in a separate courtyard, Le Cour de Clôture - Emma Stone, Jaden Smith, Chloe Moretz, Cate Blanchett, Felix Lee, Pharrell Williams, Saoirse Ronan, Catherine Deneuve, and Alicia Vikander. Sipping champagne to sounds that mashed up eras and genres, just like Nicolas' fashion. The sound of the 70s - from Gerry Rafferty's classic ballad "Right Down the Line" to Bologna-based electronic disco, "Shadows From Nowhere" by Blue Gas. Post-show, the fare was simple but succulent: risotto cooked in huge hollowed-out wheels of parmigiana, washed down by Ruinart champagne. Back in the 14th century, they called the seven decades when the popes resided in Avignon the Babylonian Captivity. This evening, it felt like Nicolas Ghesquière had freed up a lot of ideas and liberated multiple minds. No one felt captive at this fashion conclave.
