An L.V. Exclusive
For first time in the country, Louis Vuitton ready-to-wear will be available at the store
It had been a while since Louis Vuitton held a press event in Manila, so it was a thrill to finally receive an invitation from Rhea De Vera-Aguirre, general manager of Louis Vuitton Micronesia and Philippines, to visit the Greenbelt 4 store and view the Cruise 2016 collection. But last Tuesday’s press presentation was made all the more special by the announcement that the first and only Louis Vuitton store in the country will be selling ready-to-wear for the first time—albeit for a limited time only. The Caravan (a trunk show of sorts) will be there until December 20, 2015.
I hadn’t been to the store in a while, so I was surprised to see the slight changes made in the interiors. “Welcome to our newly revamped store,” said Rhea as she toured us. “After being in the Philippines for 22 years and with investment in the country stronger, we felt it was the right time for Louis Vuitton to sell ready-to-wear. And also because there was a demand from our clients.” On display was Nicolas Ghesquière’s second Cruise collection for the French luxury label. “You can see how the designer married the brand’s heritage with feminine modernity,” she added.
Assistant PR manager Mary Reyes was on hand to explain the five key pieces in the collection. First was a black knit dress with leather trim. “Nicolas’s innovation is the diagonal knit. It’s the first time anyone has done this. It’s very difficult to do,” pointed out Mary.
Next were seemingly sweet sweater tops, but upon closer inspection, we noticed lacquer stickers creating a pattern. “The lacquer stickers make the classic piece very edgy.” The sweater was worn with a denim A-line skirt with overstitching.
Another key look was the combination of hard and soft. A structured tee with lacquered stickers was paired with a double-layer chiffon maxi skirt, and styled with a pair of black desert boots that had a leather tie knotted into a dainty bow.
We noticed a cropped zip-up jacket with crisscross quilting. “This is the malletage pattern, which is inspired by the interiors of the Louis Vuitton trunk,” explained Mary. The
malletage is also seen in knit tops and dresses that look like they are woven like our very own banig.
Finally, the statement look for Cruise is a chain-link print. “The Go-14 handbag with the chain strap was the inspiration for this print,” said Mary.
And, of course, no Louis Vuitton story would be complete without the bags. Our favorite pieces included the Monogram backpacks, which came in three sizes; the Alma bag with a print inspired by swimming pools; the Twist bags with palm prints; the Petite Malle in colorful prints; and the practical City Steamer tote.