Louis Vuitton Cruise 2026: Ghesquière among the stones of Avignon

A historic setting becomes interesting when the clothes argue with it. Nicolas Ghesquière’s Louis Vuitton Cruise 2026 presentation at the Palais des Papes in Avignon placed medieval references beside a distinctly contemporary material language.

Covered by WAYFARER Brazil in May 2025, the show used the palace courtyard as more than a backdrop. The audience sat within the space while models moved around it, changing the usual arrangement between a central runway and spectators along its edges.

The collection worked through flared coats and dresses, architectural volume, metallic surfaces and forms that suggested armour without becoming literal costume. Silver and black leather, satin-like textiles and embroidery referencing older tapestries brought different periods into contact. Mirrored shoes extended the play of surface and light.

Accessories carried the travelling vocabulary associated with the house. Trunk-shaped bags, small box forms and mirrored clutches appeared alongside the Twist. These objects connected the historical references to recognisable contemporary products rather than leaving the show entirely within fantasy. This is a reading of the collection shown in 2025, not a claim about present availability. The palace gave the clothes a scale and a memory. The collection’s task was to move through both without being absorbed by either.

---

Adapted from the WAYFARER Brazil archive, first published 2025-05-23. English adaptation: 6 October 2026. This is an archival account, not a report of a new visit. Exhibitions, collections and menu details are described in their original context, not as current availability.