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 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.
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.
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.
1 / 12
Look 1
2 / 12
Look 3
3 / 12
Look 7
4 / 12
Look 9
5 / 12
Look 14
6 / 12
Look 18
7 / 12
Look 21
8 / 12
Look 30
9 / 12
Look 35
10 / 12
Look 40
11 / 12
Look 41
12 / 12
