Latest news with #Ghesquière
Vogue Singapore
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
Louis Vuitton's fall/winter 2025 collection is an ode to the modern voyager
A tribute to the modern voyager—for Louis Vuitton's fall/winter 2025 collection, Nicolas Ghesquière revisits the house's travel-inspired heritage in a way that feels both cinematic and culturally resonant. Louis Vuitton's fall/winter 2025 collection nods to the spirit of travel with utilitarian-meets-chic ensembles. Courtesy of Louis Vuitton The show took place at a secret location: L'Étoile du Nord, a rich, historical space tucked next to Gare du Nord, one of Paris's busiest train stations. Once the headquarters of a 19th-century train company, the venue was transformed to resemble a grand station platform. It was the perfect backdrop for a collection that celebrates the beauty of being in transit. The line-up sees comprises of bold, vibrant silhouettes complemented by embellished knit sweaters and plaid pieces. Courtesy of Louis Vuitton And in true Louis Vuitton fashion, the symbiosis of style and music was at the heart of it all. For this season, the maison collaborated with pioneering electronic band Kraftwerk, specifically referencing their Trans-Europe Express album—a tribute to the golden age of rail travel through a modernist lens. The album cover appears on some of the looks, with its title quietly anchoring the spirit of the designs. Voluminous ruffled skirts add a distinct layer of character to the utilitarian collection. Courtesy of Louis Vuitton The collection also pulled from a range of train-inspired films, handpicked by Ghesquière's team themselves. Titles like 2046 , Snowpiercer , Casablanca , Brief Encounter , Harry Potter , and Murder on the Orient Express all made the cut. These references translated into a dynamic cast of characters: city dwellers, lone adventurers, daily commuters—each look representing a different persona and story, almost like snapshots from different stations in someone's life. Draped dresses, tailored silhouettes, and thigh-high socks styled with boots tie into the collection's modern voyager theme. Courtesy of Louis Vuitton As for the looks themselves? It was utilitarian meets chic in the best way possible. An eclectic palette that felt like voyagers heading in every direction, from laid-back layering to sharp, tailored moments with a hint of formality. Think city-country mix looks comprising of fishing trip blanket coats, velvet dévoré dresses, sporty commuter jackets, and train attendant ties. Leather cargo shorts, ruffled velvet dresses, and vivid belts add a depth of texture to the range. Courtesy of Louis Vuitton Silhouettes were also reminiscent of the '80s, coupled with plaid capes, embellished knit sweaters and bejewelled yoke dresses. Translucent rain jackets, leather cargo shorts, and voluminous ruffled skirts also added an audacious edge to the line-up of ensembles. Accessories take the spotlight with soft-sided bags reimagining the classic Louis Vuitton travel gear. Courtesy of Louis Vuitton The accessories stayed true to the house's DNA, with the show spotlighting soft-sided travel bags—a nod to the maison's legacy of designing for the journey. There was the familiar Keepall, but also a fresh, reimagined silhouette: L'Express, crafted in soft tones and clean lines. And the extras pulled no punches—chunky bangles, boots paired with thigh-high socks, sculptural belts, as well as statement hats of every kind: exaggerated bucket styles, leather baseball caps, wide brims, and miniature berets. A medley of tailored and effortless pieces, the collection reimagines travel-inspired looks through a modern lens. Courtesy of Louis Vuitton In the end, this wasn't just another dreamy, escapist show. Ghesquière used travel as a lens to reflect on identity and culture by storytelling through contemporary, wearable designs. It was cinematic, yes—but also practical and beautifully grounded in reality and tasteful commute. For more information, visit Louis Vuitton.
Elle
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Louis Vuitton's Cruise 2026 Documentary Shows Magical Details You Might Have Missed From The Show
'Have you ever truly experienced a Nicholas Ghesquière show?' asks fashion commentator Tuba Avalon. Now, thanks to a special new documentary, Runway Reflections: Tales from Avignon, you don't have to be a fashion editor to be able to answer yes to that question. The 16-minute documentary narrated by Avalon takes viewers inside the making of Louis Vuitton's magical Cruise 2026 show in Avignon, France. Filmed in the days leading up to the show, it gives a rare insight into the inner workings of Ghesquière's artistry and what it takes to organise a standout destination fashion show. Ghesquière's Cruise 2026 show was a fashion moment for the ages, set against the grandeur of Palais des Papes, a UNESCO World Heritage site built in 1335. The designer chose the venue not just for its breathtaking architecture, but for a deeply personal reason – his own encounter with the space during the 2000 'La Beauté in Fabula' art exhibition, where American video artist Bill Viola's installation left a long-lasting mark on him. It was, 'an aesthetic shock… like collisions of time,' Ghesquière recalls. It was a vision that he wanted to echo for his own show. Ghesquière embraces the theatricality of fashion, believing clothing 'project an image of charisma, accentuating a style, and character,' not just on the runway, but in life, he says. The film also explores his take on 'fashion time travel' as he reinterprets Arthurian mythologies, liturgical embroidery and glam rock at its best. The film takes us backstage for last-minute fittings and hair and makeup, and introduces us to the talents such as set designers, photographers and other artisans. It also features friends of the brand like K-pop fan favourite Felix and French film director Justine Triet. Far more than a behind-the-scenes glance, Runway Reflections: Tales From Avignon provides immersive and detailed storytelling, giving an insight into what really goes into making a Louis Vuitton show. The documentary is available to stream exclusively on YouTube. Click here to watch the full film. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
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
