Louis Vuitton Charts a Path to the Future
Ten years ago, to the exact date, Nicolas Ghesquière presented his first collection as creative director of Louis Vuitton, beginning one of the longest running love affairs between brand and designer in the modern era. Fashion houses play musical chairs with creative directors nowadays, shuffling around the same host of designers when things stop working—or when contracts are up. But, despite rumors flitting every few years, Ghesquière has stuck around, developing his own visual language and leading the brand to its place as the crown jewel of LMVH, and global fashion.
Almost every celebrity who has appeared as a brand ambassador, or is a friend of Ghesqiuère’s, joined the crowd of almost 4,000 people at the Cour Carrée at the Louvre, from longtime friend Jennifer Connelly to Emma Stone, Chlöe Grace Moretz, Sarah Paulson, Danielle and Este Haim, Ana de Armas, Lisa of Blackpink, and on and on. Hoyeon Jung kicked off the proceedings in the massive space with a custom, motherboard-esque chandelier designed by French artist Philippe Parreno. She opened the show in a stark white anorak, accessorized with ’60s-era white boots, fringe gloves, and an Alma bag. The runway continued on with plenty of new ideas, such as the paillettes along grey capri leggings, bomber jackets in light technical perforated fabrics, and some great asymmetrical sequined dresses. The furry gloves and cat-eared beanies were cheeky nods to the youth of the Vuitton customer.
Elsewhere, Ghesquière planted Swiftian Easter eggs of collections past, for avid fans and friends to spot and admire how relevant the silhouettes look. Brocaded Victorian jackets in metallic jewel tones and brilliant curlicues called back to spring 2018, when he paired similar jackets with the Archlight sneaker that was all but ubiquitous at the time. This go-around, they were paired with black and white brogues. More structured skirt suits in shades of grey called back to his frequent use of scuba, particularly during his time at Balenciaga, but also peppered throughout his early years at Vuitton. Explosions of tulle skirts nodded to his fall 2021 range, a LV Monogram trunk-patterned minidress referenced his constant reinterpretations of the brand’s rich history in luggage, never tiring of referencing and turning the corner on a new proposition.
The finale dresses were flocked with feathers, with curly underskirts giving the silhouettes a future-leaning feel. This season was full of similarly tactile pieces, as Ghesquière continues to define and redefine the arc of fashion’s future. His deep sense of heritage mirrors that of the historic brand, but he’s not content to rest on his laurels, simply regurgitating past collections. The mark of a true fashion designer is one who’s uncomfortable with comfort, who pushes the needle forward while still honoring the past. With that in mind, here’s to another 10 years of the future in the present.
LOUIS VUITTON FALL/WINTER 2024
Kevin LeBlanc is the Fashion Associate at ELLE Magazine. He covers fashion news, trends, and anything to do with Robyn Rihanna Fenty.