Departure: the starting point of a journey, which also constitutes the very foundation of Louis Vuitton, whose history is built on the joy of discovery. At the heart of this sensation of departure sits The TWA Flight Center, John F. Kennedy airport’s architectural treasure that Eero Saarinen conceived like a vast bird, at the height of public enthusiasm for the Jet Age, when dreams of elsewhere became a tangible reality.
To leave. To come back again. The 2020 Cruise Collection summarizes the exaltation of departure and the comings and goings during which one leaves behind a little bit of oneself and brings much back home. And isn’t New York the most fascinating of cities for its flow of cultures that blend together, enriching one another? The dialogue between Paris and New York is a long-running conversation that the House began with the first trans-Atlantic crossings and continues today with this collection, like a stylistic to and fro.
There’s America’s fascination with French fashion, that exception known as the Couture spirit. In counterpoint, there’s the foreigner’s fantasy of this incredible city. The reliefs of legendary buildings are transposed as sophisticated prints, clever embroideries and dazzling brocade that describe elegant out-of-towners; acid colors recall the brilliant light that rises from New York City’s Downtown to Uptown, the Wall Street uniform indulges in poetic transgressions, and shaded silhouettes stir a Gotham City ambiance. In this sartorial exchange, Louis Vuitton’s most luxurious expression draws on all its resources of savoir-faire, reveling in a mash-up of emotions and stories in the world’s most cinematic city.
On the runway are prototypes of iconic bags, the basis for reconsidering the digital Canvas of the Future and connected accessories. A world premiere for Louis Vuitton, which is always in search of the fusion of savoir-faire and innovation.
Nicolas Ghesquière: “I was lucky enough to have landed at the TWA Flight Center in the late Nineties. It was something I could never forget. This place was forgotten for twenty years, and now has come 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.
It’s about rediscovering of an uncommon place that yet is a part of American heritage.” The plants used for this show’s décor will be either donated or turned into compost.
