Louis Vuitton Cruise 2019: An Exploration of Eccentricity
The house of Louis Vuitton has seen quite a few changes over the past few months, such as the appointment of former Tiffany & Co. designer Francesca Amfiteatrof as its new artistic director of watches and jewelry, as well as the departure of its Men’s Artistic Director, Kim Jones — which was swiftly followed by his replacement by Off-White superstar designer, Virgil Abloh.
Somehow, Nicolas Ghesquière has managed to keep his feet on the ground in the midst of that whirlwind and remain the Maison's Women's Artistic Director for the fifth year running. Perhaps that has to do with the fact that the designer is the one shaking up the codes of the house himself, and not the other way around — which was certainly the case for his Cruise 2019 collection.
Ghesquière was preoccupied with idea of eccentricity in a time when individuality is so easy to copy (check your Instagram feed). So, who better to call on as a muse than the inimitable, flame-haired American Vogue creative director-at-large, Grace Coddington?
"Eccentricity is to define your own personality and to mix things in a unique way,” said Ghesquière after the show. “For me, Grace with her very strong style represents a kind of eccentricity.”
That explains why there were quite a few redheads amongst the models at the show, some of whom were even sporting Grace's signature crimped-out ginger mane. The show was also soundtracked by a remixed tape of fellow Nicolas Ghesquière muse, Jennifer Connelly, reading excerpts from the stylist's autobiography.
Proving that cat and dog people can get along, Ghesquière also tapped on his muse to create an exclusive range of accessories that reflected their love for animals.
The result? Monogrammed bags printed with Coddington's playful illustrations of her cats and Ghesquière's dog, as well as clutches resembling feline faces.
"My collaboration with Nicolas and his team at Louis Vuitton has been so much fun," said Coddington, who sat in the front row dressed in (what else?) silk pyjamas that also featured her drawings. "I hope it will be a dream come true for Pumpkin, Blanket and Nicolas’ dog. It certainly is for me."
(You can get your hands on the cute accessories when the capsule collection becomes available in October 2018.)
Those bags won't be the only thing you'll be adding to cart, though. Ghesquière made sure to include everyone's favourite futuristic sneakers in his new collection, and they now come in new colourways. Think all-gold pairs and shoes featuring painted abstract art prints.
That's not all: this season, the trainers have been transformed into over-the-knee and ankle boot versions. That means you can proudly strut your stuff in Louis Vuitton's hybrid sneaker-boots without breaking a sweat or hurting your feet. Now this is what the future should look like.
Louis Vuitton's Cruise 2019 collection was unconventionally styled, which was Ghesquière's attempt at challenging how "the world is dressing the same." He mixed an array of patterns (florals, checkerboards), shapes (strong 80s shoulders and 18th-century sleeves) and colours (have you seen those Archlight sneakers?) — altogether creating the effect of something completely original.
Adding on to that dizzying momentum was the fact that the models walked down the Miró labyrinth, a life-sized maze of sculptures at the Maeght Foundation that overlooks the village of Saint-Paul de Vence. The Maeght Foundation is a contemporary art museum and a personal favourite of Ghesquière. It's easy to see why: like his previous Cruise locations, the museum boasts an unpredictable architecture that mirrors his collections.
Discover the entire Louis Vuitton Cruise 2019 collection below:
Photo credit: LOUIS VUITTON Women Collection Fall-Winter 2016/2017 © Louis Vuitton Malletier – All rights reserved
