Louis Vuitton embarked on yet another stylish journey, this time across the globe to Shanghai, the bustling economic hub of China. Just weeks after celebrating his 10th anniversary at the maison with an iced-out collection at the Cour Carré du Louvre, Nicolas Ghesquière set the stage for the Pre-Fall 2024 show at the Long Museum West Bund—a convergence of Fashion, Art, and Design in a celebration of creativity.
Designed by Liu Yichun of Atelier Deshaus in 2012, the space stands as a notable part of contemporary architecture where minimalism meets expressive materiality and sculptural form providing the perfect backdrop to a timeless and modern collection where contemporary Art came to life.
Nicolas Ghesquière collaborated with Chinese artist Sun Yitian, known for her vibrant and colorful paintings of mass-production objects to revisit and infuse the timeless signatures with a touch of pop. From a blue penguin to a neon pink bunny with LV Fleur de Lys in his eyes and a big yellow duck, the collection definitely assured its place within the collectible market of Artist-Designer collaborations.
After a series of graphic cartoon prints, came a series of floral patterns somewhere in between sportswear and feminine-chic, with strict jerseys, flowy skirts and utility vests paired with board shorts. With a twist on classics from previous collections such as the leather biker pants, structured skater skirts and retro-futuristic sleeveless jackets. Experimentation seemed to be the recurring pattern in this collection: with statement silhouettes embracing the art of layering different fabrics, punctuated by revisited signature leather goods such as the Slim Truck, an elongated version of the small trunk. Ghesquière played with skirts of different structure: from flowy to straight cut as well as ranging lengths, sometimes longer in the back or even styled over pants. Of course the show came to a dramatic end with a trio of voluminous silk bubble dresses in black, platinum and white.
The collection exuded a sense of rediscovery, embracing playfulness and experimentation with classics while deviating from prints and focusing on innovative silhouettes. Introducing new leather accessories like the supple Capucine and the Dauphine, Louis Vuitton's Pre-Fall show was a testament to the Maison's enduring commitment to reinvention and creativity.
