Louis Vuitton and the Avignon mademoiselles
The choice did not please everyone. Several groups staged demonstrations in front of the monument on the afternoon of Saturday, May 17, holding up placards. Led by the CGT Spectacle (the entertainment branch of the labor union), Extinction Rebellion and Attac, protestors raised concerns about the working conditions of the contract workers involved in the show, as well as the environmental damage caused by the event. The privatization of the surrounding neighborhood for several days before the show also heightened tensions.
However, the event offered benefits to both the region and the city. Beyond the global spotlight such an event brings to the chosen venue, it generated real economic impact. More than 2,000 hotel rooms were booked for the two days of festivities, accommodating the brand's teams, technicians and 450 guests. Louis Vuitton also pledged to help fund the Palais des Papes's new lighting project, approved by the municipal council in September 2024 and estimated at €2 million.
The choice of the Palais des Papes continued Nicolas Ghesquière's fascination with unique architecture. The creative director of the house's womenswear collections has previously staged cruise shows in visually striking venues: in France, at the Axe Majeur in Cergy-Pontoise (in the Paris region) in 2021 and the gardens of the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence (on the Riviera) in 2018. Abroad, he has chosen the Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói, designed by Oscar Niemeyer in Brazil in 2016; the Miho Museum by Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei in Japan in 2017; and the modernist estate of actor Bob Hope (1903-2003) in Palm Springs, California, in 2015.
"The Palais des Papes is an extraordinary place. I have been thinking about it for a show for a long time. There are so many historically rich places in France; we don't always need to seek out far-flung destinations. When I returned there some time ago with my partner [the American actor Drew Kuhse], I saw such amazement in his eyes! As French people, we sometimes forget that these places exist here at home," the designer said just minutes before the show began.
High, supple boots
Cruise collections are not just an opportunity to inspire and transport clients. The stakes for these mid-season lines are significant: They remain on store racks the longest, sometimes for up to eight months, making them more important for sales than other collections. The financial crisis currently facing the luxury industry has spared none of its key players, not even leaders. LVMH's net profit dropped 17% to €12.6 billion for the 2024 fiscal year.
"This collection was inspired not only by the history of the venue, which evokes the chivalric and medieval eras, but also by the idea of stage and performance. Avignon is a cradle of fantastic culture. I have many memories of the festival, when the city suddenly becomes devoted to artists. I saw works there by Bill Viola, Christian Boltanski and Pina Bausch," Ghesquière recalled. Created in 1947 by Jean Vilar (1912-1971), the Festival d'Avignon, held each summer, is one of the world's largest theater and performing arts events.
Designed by British artist Es Devlin, the show's set design evoked the concept of spectacle. In the Cour d'Honneur of the Palais des Papes, the audience was seated at the center of a stage, facing rows of empty red velvet stands. The models circled the guests. Among the attendees were actresses Alicia Vikander, Emma Stone and Cate Blanchett, as well as Pharrell Williams – attending as a colleague, as he heads Louis Vuitton's menswear – and France's first lady, Brigitte Macron, a longtime supporter of the brand.
The collection, rich in ideas, skillfully blended different worlds and eras. To the song "Excalibur" by William Sheller (1989), medieval and knightly silhouettes appeared in velvet-sequined shift dresses paired with high, supple boots; short capes in felted cashmere patchwork; gleaming jacquard dresses reminiscent of court tapestries; and flowing knit dresses with breastplates covered in silver chains.
Stage costumes evoked the spirit of Keith Richards or David Bowie. There was a rock star edge to cropped, zippered leather jackets and suits with metallic blazers or paisley prints. Some pieces, richly decorated and finely crafted, bordered on haute couture, such as short dresses made entirely from embroidered silk petals. By mixing references – historic and contemporary – Ghesquière, known for his love of science fiction, avoided glaring anachronisms by cleverly blurring the lines.
While the world of luxury and fashion has never been so unsettled – a dozen new creative directors will debut on the runways in September and October, including Matthieu Blazy at Chanel, the Proenza Schouler duo at Loewe and Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga – Ghesquière has stayed his course. Appointed at Louis Vuitton in 2013 after 15 years at Balenciaga, he renewed his contract for another five years in 2023. How does he view the changes coming to his competitors? "It's very exciting! Paris Fashion Week is going to be incredibly strong, and that's what we want, isn't it? It's galvanizing!" Absolutely.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
3 hours ago
- LeMonde
Montmartre residents denounce the Paris neighborhood's 'Disneyfication'
From the public bench on Place Dalida, just behind the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, one can witness a peculiar spectacle at any time of day. Dozens of Spanish, Indian, Chinese and American tourists line up to pose next to the statue of the singer Dalida. Not just any pose: Each holds her breasts. The gesture is unusual and the faces are laughing, as stroking Dalida's chest is said to bring good luck in love. On Rue de l'Abreuvoir, the same lines of tourists form – this time, to snap a photo in front of La Maison Rose, a café featured in the American series Emily in Paris. Further down, on Rue des Trois-Frères, another queue blocks a narrow sidewalk: It's for the vintage photo booth, a social media sensation. Three places Emily forgot to visit in Paris The Carnavalet Museum Anyone who loves Paris should go here. Dedicated to the history of the capital, the beautiful building in the Marais reopened in 2021 after four and a half years of work. On the first floor, the collection of signs recalls the city's commercial vocation, long before the high-end brands Emily loved: Au griffon (furniture dealer), A la couronne d'or (innkeeper), and so on. In the garden, a tempting café would be an ideal setting for the series. 23, rue de Sévigné, Paris 3 e. Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm. Free admission for the permanent collections. The National Museum of the Middle Ages Not far from Emily's home, this institution reopened in 2022, after... eleven years of work. After the kiss given to Gabriel under the big clock at the Musée d'Orsay, the American could take her new darling, Alfie, there. We're pretty sure she'd love the hyper-stylized lady with the unicorn on her large six-panel tapestry. As for the frigidarium, it is a unique testimony to Gallo-Roman baths, even before the advent of the Middle Ages. Paris was then Lutetia. 28, rue du Sommerard, Paris 5 e. Tuesday through Sunday, 9:30 am to 6:15 pm. From €10 to €12. Bourse de commerce - Pinault Collection At Les Halles, the Bourse de Commerce has long remained closed to visitors. Since 2021, the billionaire François Pinault, owner of Gucci (Emily is wearing a Gucci bag), has been the tenant for fifty years. He exhibits part of his contemporary art collection there. Restored and transformed by the Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the site is also worth seeing for its spectacular glass dome, around which wraps the allegorical fresco of world trade created in the 19 th century by four different painters. 2, rue de Viarmes, Paris 1 er. Wednesday to Monday, 11 am to 7 pm. From €10 to €14. Welcome to photogenic Montmartre, with its hidden gardens, windmills, vineyard, funicular, street artists – and millions of visitors from around the globe. In this neighborhood where ice cream, crêpe and miniature Eiffel Tower vendors thrive, even the traffic seems orchestrated by Disneyland. Sidecars, 2CVs, Méharis and tuk-tuks crisscross the Butte for a few dozen euros per person, crossing paths with tourist trains – there are five in total. But in recent months, a fracture has appeared in this fairy-tale setting. In this neighborhood of 27,000 residents, banners have popped up in windows: "Residents forgotten!"; "Let Montmartre residents live"; "Behind these facades, there are people." School buildings display signs: "No to class closures!" Street signs announcing pedestrianization have been spray-painted with "Stop." In just a few months, overtourism in Montmartre has become a political issue, taken up by residents' associations, business owners and elected officials from across the political spectrum.
Fashion Network
11 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Phoebe Philo continues her momentum with the D collection
Less than two years after launching the label that bears her name, Phoebe Philo is forging ahead. The British designer has just unveiled her D collection, the fourth since her debut in October 2023, which is still sold mainly on her e-commerce site. Last year, the brand began poking its nose into the wholesale network through a handful of select multi-brand boutiques. It now seems ready to take the plunge with the opening of its first store. This new collection follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, focusing on some 40 looks (the company advocates limited production). Once again, the starting point is the wardrobe classics, with quality pieces in beautiful materials, comfortable yet cool, that make you want to wear them. These include trench coats, slim-fitting jackets, sculptural tops, and voluminous coats like this black leather model. Jackets are rounded in shape, whether in leather, with a wide collar or in the form of a lined ball. Shearling continues to make its presence felt, in a coat, a muff, puffy shearling breeches, a fun and cozy catskin-like jumpsuit, or in these wildly furry pants. Most of the looks are monochrome in neutral tones (white, black, brown), in pure minimalist style, with the exception of a black and gray plaid shirt and pants, or flashes of yellow shearling. The Phoebe Philo woman favors loose, well-cut men's suits in mottled fabrics or flowing pants, sometimes decorated with fringe or cargo style, to be worn with a simple tank top, t-shirt, black shirt or trailing top. In addition to ready-to-wear, Phoebe Philo also offers bags, jewelry, and shoes, such as these new multi-strap flat sandals. The brand, which has adopted a very minimalist communication style from the outset, gives no further information on product prices. It merely points out that, initially, the work was presented in the form of a series of editions that were unveiled and immediately available for purchase. Together, these various editions formed the first collection. Since October 2024, the collections are now presented in their entirety a few months before they go on sale, returning to a more traditional rhythm. Presented as a preview on the website, the D collection will be available from the beginning of 2026 and will continue to be sold until May. It will be distributed on the brand's e-commerce site, and in the physical network via shop-in-shops dedicated to Phoebe Philo at London's Dover Street Market and Galeries Lafayette Haussmann in Paris, as well as in selected multi-brand boutiques worldwide. This model could soon evolve with the opening of a physical boutique in London. According to the American newspaper WWD, this will take place at Carlos Place in the prestigious Mayfair district, not far from The Row boutique and the historic Connaught Hotel, at the entrance to Mount Street, a more quiet and discreet thoroughfare than neighboring New Bond Street. Contacted by Phoebe Philo declined to comment. The English designer set up her Phoebe Philo house in London in September 2020 with her husband, Maximilian Wigram, welcoming LVMH as a minority shareholder. Earlier this year, she added to her team by appointing Bruno Sialelli, former creative director of Lanvin, as design director for her ready-to-wear collection.
Fashion Network
21 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Phoebe Philo unveils 'D' collection, explores expanding offline distribution
Less than two years after launching her eponymous label, Phoebe Philo is forging ahead. The British designer has just unveiled her D collection, the fourth since her debut in October 2023. Still sold mainly through its e-commerce store, the brand began poking its nose into the wholesale market last year through a handful of select multi-brand boutiques. Now, the label seems ready to take the plunge with the opening of its first store. This new collection follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, focusing on around twenty looks as the business advocates for limited production. Once again, the starting point is wardrobe classics, with quality pieces made in beautiful materials- comfortable yet cool in a way that makes you want to wear them. These designs include trench coats, slim-fitting jackets, sculptural tops, and voluminous coats such as a black leather model. Jackets are rounded in shape and range from leather designs with wide collars to more spherical pieces. Fur continues to make an appearance, with items including coats, muffs, puffy sheepskin breeches, playful, cosy catsuits, and statement furry trousers. Most of the looks are monochromatic in neutral tones of white, black, and brown and follow a pure, minimalist style, with the exception of a black and grey plaid shirt and pants and a few flashes of yellow fur. Phoebe Philo's womenswear favours loose, well-cut men's suits in mottled fabrics and flowing trousers, sometimes decorated with fringe or in a cargo style, designed to be worn with a simple tank top, t-shirt, or black shirt. In addition to ready-to-wear, Phoebe Philo also offers bags, jewellery, and shoes, such as its new multi-strap flat sandals. The brand, which has adopted a very minimalist marketing style from the outset, has given no further information on materials used or product prices. It merely communicated that it presented its designs as a series of editions which were made available to purchase in stages and came together to form its first collection. Since October 2024, the brand's collections have been presented in their entirety several months before going on sale, returning to a more traditional approach. Presented as a preview on the website, the D collection will be available from the beginning of 2026 and will continue to be sold until May. It will be distributed on the brand's e-commerce store, and offline via shop-in-shops dedicated to Phoebe Philo at London's Dover Street Market and Galeries Lafayette Haussmann in Paris, as well as in select multi-brand boutiques worldwide. This model could soon evolve with the opening of a physical boutique in London. According to the American newspaper WWD, this will take place at Carlos Place in the British capital's prestigious Mayfair neighbourhood. The location is not far from The Row 's boutique and the historic Connaught Hotel, situated at the entrance to Mount Street, a more quiet and discreet thoroughfare than its neighbouring New Bond Street. Phoebe Philo declined to comment when contacted by The English designer created her Phoebe Philo brand in London in September 2020 with her husband, real estate entrepreneur Maximilian Wigram, and welcomed LVMH as a minority shareholder. Earlier this year, Philo added to her team by appointing Bruno Sialelli, former creative director of Lanvin, as design director for her ready-to-wear collection.
