COME FLY WITH ME
Louis Vuitton’s latest cruise collection looks to the past but is firmly planted in the future.
Nicolas Ghesquière’s LATEST CRUISE COLLECTION FOR LOUIS VUIT TON TAPS INTO THE GLAMOUR OF THE JET SET BY TRAVELLING BACK TO THE FUTURE. PREPARE FOR TAKE - OFF
WITH THE EXCEPTION of the Hadid sisters and their flawless flight wardrobes, in 2019 it’s hard to believe there was ever a glamorous, golden age of travel. Nowadays, it’s all sweatpants, security checks and salty crowds. But back in the ’60s, the Jet Age, fuelled by new jet airliners that were able to fly much higher, faster and farther than their predecessors, saw transcontinental and intercontinental travel become considerably easier and more affordable. And infinitely more chic. Think gloved stewardesses in custom-made micro uniforms and movie-star pilots in the style of Catch Me If You Can.
The shining beacon of mid-century travel: New York’s TWA Flight Center, designed by Eero Saarinen in 1962 and heralded as “a modern marvel that will impress generations to come”. They weren’t wrong. Fast-forward to May this year and the architectural masterpiece, perched like a vast bird at JFK Airport, was impressing a whole new generation of people at Nicolas Ghesquière’s cruise 2020 presentation for Louis Vuitton. The terminal closed almost 20 years ago, but after a huge renovation has been transformed into a hotel, and the fashion show made for its unofficial unveiling. Safe to say, there was not a tracksuit in sight.
The show notes described the scene as the starting point of a journey, tapping into the very foundation of Louis Vuitton, the French maison with a history built on the joy of discovery. The collection, it noted, “summarises the exaltation of departure and the comings and goings during which one leaves behind a little bit of oneself and brings much back home”. Ghesquière had landed at the TWA Flight Center in the late ’90s and was clearly thrilled to see the building brought back to life. “It’s like a sanctuary that’s been revived and seeing it enchant anew in a different iteration, as a hotel, is a great pleasure,” he said.
As the well-turned-out guests bustled around inside, what was once referred to as the “Grand Central of the Jet Age” had clearly come back into its own. And the glamour! Julianne Moore in shimmering sequins, racing checks and an emerald green stole. Cate Blanchett in aviator leather and zips. Alicia Vikander, Michelle Williams, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Stone – all part of Ghesquière’s “squad” – dressed impeccably in the brand’s most sought-after looks, all wide smiles and flashes popping, while above their heads a departures board scrolled exciting destinations, from Monaco to Moscow.
The show itself played out like the most glamorous disembarkation, with models emerging from arrival corridors with coiffed hair, rouged cheeks, Deco beading and heavy leather boots. The cultural exchange of ideas, including New York’s Chrysler Building embroideries by way of Paris, made for a truly transatlantic traveller. In typical Ghesquière style, it was hard to pinpoint an era. Until guests spotted the prototypes of bags, Bluetooth- and wi-fi-enabled with touchscreen activation and smartphone connectivity. It was clear that for all its yesteryear nostalgia, the collection was solely planted in the future. “Those suits were amazing. I can’t wait to get my hands on them,” said Australian actress, and another Ghesquière muse, Samara Weaving, referring to the models who walked out midcollection in Wall Street pinstripes and city-ready sunglasses. “I also loved the bejewelled, almost-gloved tops, and the colour scheme was amazing. The designs were just perfection.”
It’s the kind of praise one of Ghesquière’s shows for Louis Vuitton typically elicits. Since taking the helm in 2013, he’s built up an impressive body of work. Under his direction, the cruise collections, traditionally in-between seasons created to fill rails in stores, have become one of the most important collections on the calendar thanks to his knack for attention-grabbing locations like the Contemporary Art Museum in Rio’s Niterói and Bob Hope’s John Lautner-designed home in Palm Springs.
For editors and influencers who had flown in from all over the world, and for the women who will ultimately wear the bubble skirts, puff-sleeve tops and slick satin trousers shown on the runway, Ghesquière’s hope is that dreams of elsewhere become a reality. The metaphor of a gathering at a departures and arrivals lounge instead of a central Manhattan location was not lost on the crowd. Because those in the know, know – the best trips are not always about the destination.
“THE CRUISE COLLECTIONS HAVE BECOME ONE of THE MOST IMPORTANT THANKS to GHESQUIÈRE’S KNACK for ATTENTIONGRABBING LOCATIONS”