Louis Vuitton Cruise 2015 Monaco

[Tinsley V]

I feel like it's a tropical version of what he sent out last season for his debut. However, the details are what keep me coming back That look on Mae has obsessed and I loved the new versions of the mini box clutch he did, especially that embellished spike version (I also adore the spike belts). There's a look with a sequin, embellished blueish top with a black skirt. I loved how the top's colors resembled the different shades of blue in the sea.

yeah ... i love the elements of the ocean, like the embroidery on the shirts and skirts ... i think they look like little beaded coral.

i love the grand prix print. charlotte just wore look 18 to cannes for a photocall ... the blonde fur jacket is beautiful too. agree with most of the posters here, the separates are pretty hit or miss.

 

[tricotineacetat]

An image of Charlotte Gainsbourg wearing a Pre-SS'15 outfit just surfaced on style.com - If you look at the bottom left hand side, picture credit belongs to Louis Vuitton, unlike all other red carpet photos, that belong to Getty Images... speaking of discretion in product placement...



I would probably attest to the fact that Charlotte could be caught wearing a potato sack and I'd still find some charm about it, but no, I've seen much, MUCH better outfits on her than this and especially coming from Nicolas. The contrasting saddle stitching along the front-exposed zipper looks odd, resembling bikini bottoms worn on the reverse side.

I am not going to comment the bags other than that they don't look like anything I would necessarily link with true Nicolas Ghesquiere style. But there is most likely a whole bags design department in place that had most likely been there already during Marc Jacobs' tenureship that is the true driver of the houses' profits, not Ghesquiere's RTW input.

 

[tricotineacetat]

Fully agree.

But, this is Louis Vuitton, the biggest luxury brand out there that's equally coveted by 12-year-old tweens as fashion insiders. I don't think there has ever been any criticism of this brand, and the propaganda continues. Nothing new.

And in all fairness, Ghesquiere is, of course, capable of so much more than this. Pretty, feminine, coquettish and cute in clashing, cheerful prints and candy-colors are very mainstream and sells very well at the moment. This is just his version of that. And for the most part, it's so much better than the pack of designers who do "cute" as their signature. And, once taken apart as separates, it's a mighty impressive, and all-out luxurious offering that's very wearable., and versatile.

Who knows what he's obligated to follow fashion-wise for the Vuitton brand, but I'm sure he's wiser for not giving them his pure signature, at least not right away.

Ghesquiere has always come across much more intelligent, very self-awared, and business-sauvy than one of those I'm-an-artist-and-I-can-only-follow-my-heart type of designer. I get the impression he's saving the best for later-- or his own label.

Shouldn't we agree on the fact that it's for these reasons that we can be grateful that a house like Gucci has a mediocre creative director as Frida Giannini at it's helm and not a visionary designer like Ghesquiere, wasting his talent to design for a house where he has to abide to a hell lot of commercial demands, therewith compromising his stylistic capabilities?

If you look at Ghesquiere's appointment at Vuitton, you could argue it is a step upwards in his career as he is now responsible to design the RTW line for one of the biggest luxury goods companies in the world. Upon second thought, it tells a different thought to me: Unlike at Balenciaga, Ghesquiere acts no longer as the global creative director at Louis Vuitton. This stands in crass contrast to Hedi Slimane's appointment at Saint Laurent, where he was granted complete control over the fashion houses' imagery - from the actual product to the design of the stores and any visual imagery for the house (famously including the re-branding from 'Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche' to 'Saint Laurent Paris'.

Also, it needs to be taken into account that because of the relatively small percentage of RTW sales at Vuitton, we can expect Ghesquiere's designs to be a hell lot less visible and accessible than at Balenciaga. It will remain to be seen how serious Vuitton is to expand it's reach further than the massive, existing leather goods business they have made themselves a name with or if hiring a designer like him was more of a prestige with very little actual change in the houses' further evolvement. They needed an innovator like Ghesquiere as other brands like Celine have successfully taken over the opinion leadership as the most exciting luxury bags providers, so in a way, they needed a 'cool' designer to revitalize their product lines with fashion credibility... compared to other peers such as Alber Elbaz, Hedi Slimane, Karl Lagerfeld or Phoebe Philo, it seems as if Nicolas Ghesquiere has a whole lot less input to give than in his previous position.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ I still think it's too early to criticize Ghesquiere for not unleashing his full creativity at such a commercial label. And I can understand if he never does. Major labels such as Vuitton are increasingly becoming more and more consumer driven. If I want innovative and visionary designs, I'm not going to be disappointed if Frida's Gucci's doesn't offer it. It's not the place to look for that. Nor do I expect LVMH to suddenly let Ghesquiere free creative reign just because he's been the one setting the pace in fashion for the last 10 years. These major labels are still a business first, so to see commercial pieces with that extra touch that is the Ghesquiere flare makes perfect business sense.

Marc's designs for Vuitton were all over the place; there really was not a signature. I think with only 2 collections, Ghsequiere has already set a strong direction for the label with an emphasis on the concept of detailed sportswear separates that are easy to wear with that unmistakable luxe factor. One's a overhyped stylist, the other is a genuine visionary designer-- with a great sense for business. Hedi is such an anomaly in the pairing of designer and label since his relationship with Berger is much more personal and more along the lines of superrich mentor indulging his golden child, that to compare that relationship to other designer/label ones seems unfair.

I do think he's being genuine when he said he's having fun at Vuitton. This cute, girly and very accessible/ commercial direction is not really him, but as mentioned, I think his take is leagues better than those who do it as their signature. I much prefer the masculine and angular graphic lines that were in his strongest and most influential collections for Balenciaga, but that's his signature, and I can/ would understand if he'd rather not give that to Vuitton. Overall, I'm not a fan of his designs for Vuitton so far. but I do admire him for being so much more multi-dimensional in his approach to fashion: Being able to adapt to commercial designs without losing his identity. I suppose his Vuitton offerings may be seen as a "diffusion" line for his signature...

Marc's contribution to Vuitton was in creating the insatiable desire for the Vuitton bags. Ghesquiere may just do the same for their RTW. And I don't see him in the same position as Tom Ford, whose creative leadership seems to have come to a halt.