On the eve of the show commemorating Nicolas Ghesquière's tenth anniversary at Louis Vuitton, Paris was full of rumors.
First lady Brigitte Macron, who often wears the brand at official functions, was said to be attending. Blackpink's Lisa Manoban, previously a Celine brand ambassador, was also expected to appear.
Both of these things turned out to be true, although the scene at the door was less chaotic than usual (the side effect, perhaps, of having a police officer with a machine gun near the entrance). Inside the clear plastic tent in a courtyard of the Louvre Museum, the newcomers were quickly ushered to their seats.
As they waited for the show to start, a bright light periodically passed overhead, like a spaceship on patrol. In the center of the room was a science fiction installation by artist Philippe Parreno, but most of the 4,000 guests were seated around the perimeter of the room, out of sight of the pulsating orb.
Echoing his first show for the brand, Ghesquière left a typewritten note on each seat. “It is a beautiful journey. I am going to continue,” stated the designer, who recently renewed his contract with Vuitton for another five years.
His collection, while not exactly a greatest hits compilation, could be read as a distillation of his work in the house. There were futuristic versions of sportswear, like a two-tone graphic jacket with a curved zipper or a silver flight suit with scarification marks.
Felix, from the K-pop band Stray Kids, walked in an embroidered white turtleneck and metallic sweatpants, while a boxy minidress, printed with trompe-l'oeil details, was worn with furry gloves as big as bear paws
Macron's favorite cool tailoring included a steel gray skirt suit with curved shoulder pads, while a pearl gray satin coat with feather embroidery echoed the brocade frock coats from Ghesquière's spring 2018 collection.
Gorgeous embroidered jackets, like '80s couture on steroids, stood out against plain leather skirts in icy tones. Many looks made no sense at all, like the linebacker-proportioned feather shrug worn by a model carrying an “Alien” egg-shaped monogrammed bag.
We'll never know what it all meant, as Ghesquière stopped doing post-show interviews five years ago. At the helm of the world's largest luxury brand, he is paradoxically one of the most visible designers in the world and one of the least heard, which is a shame, since he is one of the most original minds in the industry today.
The general public can get a glimpse of his process through a new series on Vuitton's YouTube channel, “Nicolas Ghesquière: Shaping Fashion,” which began last month with a joint interview with Emma Stone.
But those hoping to share in the royal celebration of the designer's decade at Vuitton were left with the strange feeling of having missed the party, as only the VIP section (presumably) got a glimpse of the designer.
Some reporters tried to get to the center of the action after the show, but a guard directed them toward the exit, saying, “Greetings are not for the press.” The old saying about the tree falling in the forest came to mind.
