Ever since we heard that Nicolas Ghesquière was taking the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2018 collection to Kyoto, we’ve been dying to see the collection. Sunday’s show did not disappoint.
Kyoto’s Miho Museum, an architectural masterpiece by I.M Pei, was the ideal backdrop for the Louis Vuitton extravaganza with its avant-garde architecture nestled amongst lush green forestry.
Like Maria Grazia Chiuri’s recent Dior Cruise 2018 collection, Ghesquière also turned to nature for inspo. “I visited the Miho Museum a few years ago and was fascinated by I.M. Pei’s concept of the harmony between architecture and nature,” says Ghesquière in a press release. “Japan is a country I know well. It was one of the first places I traveled to when I was seeking inspiration, some twenty years ago, and I’ve been a regular visitor ever since. This collection is the culmination of what Japan has given to me for a very long time.”
His love for Japan was clear. Not only did Ghesquière collaborate with renowned Japanese designer Kansai Yamamoto (he’s best known as the man behind David Bowie’s costumes for his Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane tours) on the kabuki designs seen throughout the collection, models, including Japanese actress Rila Fukushima and Korean actress Doona Bae, paraded down the runway in samurai warrior-inspired garments and accessories featuring traditional ceremonial prints, inked landscape drawings and kabuki masks.
No runway show is complete without a celeb-filled front row. Louis Vuitton’s A-list ambassadors were all on hand. Michelle Williams kept things sweet and sensual in a lace-trimmed, printed dress, while Jennifer Connelly and Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing were dressed as modern day superheroes (Connelly in a cobalt-blue pantsuit and Fan in a jet-black ensemble). The house’s new muses Sophie Turner and Laura Harrier were also in attendance. While the Game of Thrones actress opted for a structured one-shoulder dress, the Spider-Man: Homecoming star (and our latest girl crush) stepped out in the crop top outfit of our dreams.
Scroll through the below gallery to see the best-dressed guests and runway looks at Louis Vuitton’s 2018 Cruise collection.
Photography by Koki Nagahama/WireImage
Sophie Turner
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