Long ago in 2000, at the beginning of the 21st century, Nicolas Ghesquière came to the southern French city of Avignon to visit the historic Palais des Papes, which dates from the 14th century. He was there to see an art exhibition with a millennium theme, with a Bill Viola installation and a dance performance by Pina Bausch. All this took place in what the greatest medieval structure in Europe is, a one -off seat of Western Christianity, but which is now better known as a UNESCO site (this year are 30 -year -old jubilee of that status celebrating) and many decades at home for an annual experimental theater festival.
Ghesquière was fascinated by the place, which is not exactly surprising: magical things usually happen in his mind when history, culture and his own specific brand of creativity and intellectual curiosity clash. Now, about 25 years later, here he is, back in the city, with his Louis Vuitton 2026 Cruise Collection: a fantastic 45-look show that offered a masterful meditation about everything, from decorative old religious tracts to glammy rock stars, medieval heraldic costumes to the mythe of mythe ExcaliburWith references in abundance to King Arthur and the lady of the lake. I would have liked to have asked Ghesquière if he thought Nicholas Clay in the Excalibur film from 1981 was as hot as me, but I managed to keep back. What I do know is this: that the Bausch performance has helped him to imagine how to show this cruise collection.
“I wanted to put the audience on stage,” said Ghesquière during a preview for the show. “This idea that an audience sees everything, from the point of view of the artists. The places where I have shown the cruise in the past, such as Kyoto, usually have a personal bond,” he continued. “It is rare that I once find a location of scouting. It is always personal, then this twisted way of me thinks about fashion [laughs]. When [famed French actor and theater director] Jean Vilar came here in 1947 to perform, he said [of Palais des Papes]”It is impossible to do theater here, so let’s do theater here!” And I love that! I am not saying that it is impossible to do fashion here, but it is the first time they have done something like that. “