Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquière’s forward thinking is melding perfectly with Louis Vuitton’s reputation of impeccable craftsmanship to create bags of enduring appeal.
When Nicolas Ghesquière sent down a bevy of models in a tunnel of lights outside the Louvre for Louis Vuitton’s spring/summer 2019 collection, it was clear that he was fast tracking the brand into the 21 century. A creative virtuoso, Ghesquière is well known for his obsession with retro-futuristic dress codes, and he’s navigating the brand through the digital revolution by remixing classics with a sci-fiedge. The latest collection had Ghesquière putting on a cutting-edge display with a multitude of balloon sleeves, mesh dresses and bold-shouldered jackets. The historical grounds of the Louvre may have served as a fitting backdrop to reflect Louis Vuitton’s heritage and exceptional know-how (the museum is home to a trove of treasures that attest to the magic the human hand can achieve, after all), but it was the future that Ghesquière was racing towards.
This spring/summer 2019 season saw a new host of bags follow in the same vein of innovation—geometric shapes and sharp angles paired with clasps inspired by the House’s classic trunks, or refreshingly modern interpretations of timeless Louis Vuitton models from the ’70s and ’80s. The traditional silhouette of the Dauphine was revived for the Instagram generation as a trendforward bum bag, while Louis Vuitton’s travel identity inspired the neo-vintage Mini Luggage. Ghesquire’s penchant for pushing boundaries manifested in the way he interwove his Space Age theme into the Toupie Bag. Shaped unmistakably like a spacecraft, it was an instant runway hit.
But it’s important not to forget about the House’s past: Its founder started the business in 1854 peddling st travel trunks that were ingeniously designed to be flat so that they could be stacked. It makes perfect sense then, that Ghesquière’s early undertakings as Artistic Director included creating the Petite Malle, modelled after the original Vuitton trunks. Owning the coveted mini bag today is almost like owning a piece of Louis Vuitton’s legacy: An amalgamation of artistry, expertise and inventiveness.
So, for all its wondrous sense of futurism, Ghesquière’s creations for Louis Vuitton continue to be guided by the House’s rich history. The enduring timelessness of Louis Vuitton and its offerings is no happenstance, but a result of the exceptional craftsmanship and techniques still practised when making the brand’s bags today. Whether it’s a stitch that finishes a handle or the little nails hammered by hand to trim a trunk, it is also the skill of Louis Vuitton’s artisans and the attention paid to detail that give each bag that extraordinary touch. Time—the ultimate form of luxury—is spent perfecting every trim and every edge. And touch. Ti of luxur every tr with the concept of time an important factor shaping every Ghesquière collection, it appears everything dovetails perfectly in a celebration of Louis Vuitton’s irreplaceable and invaluable legacy.
