Amid the waters of Italy’s Lake Maggiore, Louis Vuitton escaped to the idyllic Isola Bella for the debut of its 2024 Cruise collection. Surrounded by sculpted topiaries, stone figures, and the rising mountains in the distance, guests like Oprah Winfrey, Emma Stone, Pharrell Williams, Jennifer Connelly, Phoebe Dynevor, Thuso Mbedu, and Cate Blanchett gathered at the palace gardens for the mystical runway show.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Aided by the storybook destination, a fantastical feeling permeated the air as models began parading through the manicured gardens. The looks that unfolded teetered between ultra-contemporary style concepts and entities that might not be of this time or place. In sumptuous juxtaposition, the maison infused in its latest designs notes of sportswear, sartorial expertise, and the most tasteful hint of costume, which suggested tales of lagoons filled with finned creatures and royalty attending grandiose celebrations.
The collection, designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, posed a progression of looks ranging from daily wear to formal, where both form and detail offered ideas that felt fresh and elevated, from reconceptualized suiting and pairings of blouses and trousers to casual dresses and evening gowns. Silhouettes included sculptural ruffles and structural, curving shapes mimicking underwater fauna, tailoring in unique fabrications, and supply draped pieces so carefully constructed that they could have been carved from stone (like a suite of knee-length dresses in blocked colors, styled with masks). The collection’s surprising and sumptuous tactile choices included a material reminiscent of scuba wear, scaly layers of shimmering oversized sequins, quilted prints, and an airy silk chiffon that was artfully crafted into sculpted shapes.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Looks still lingering on our minds include a neoprene ensemble featuring a graphic jacket with a fish gill collar and a flounced mini skirt with sneakers and a face mask; a bodysuit reminiscent of a rash guard, styled with an overcoat in a gauzy material, a regal headpiece, and high-top athletic shoes; a simple button-up shirt and pants made extravagant through metallic beading and tendrils of fabric floating down the sides; and a look featuring a draped leather top with anchor buttons, a sheer pearl-crusted skirt worn over bike shorts, and a miniature trunk handbag in quilted leather. Also not to be missed was the series of ethereal pastel dresses that closed out the show that utilized texture in a manner that reminded us of jellyfish and coral formations.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
