May 21, 2026 |
Nicolas Ghesquière has a habit of picking locations that do half the talking, and Louis Vuitton cruise 2027 was no exception. He brought the show to The Frick – newly renovated, freshly minted as the recipient of a three-year cultural sponsorship from the French maison, and, for the first time ever, opening its galleries to a runway. Among the Fragonards and Van Dycks sat Cate Blanchett, Zendaya, Emma Stone, Chase Infiniti and The Devil Wears Prada stars Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt.
The first model emerged on the carpeted runway carrying a 1930s-era leather suitcase, nearly a century old and free of monogram, until you clocked the unmistakable black Sharpie scrawls Keith Haring doodled across it before gifting it to a roommate in 1980. Uptown-meets-downtown, Parisian sensibility-meets-New York cool – the trunk set the mood for everything that followed.
The clothes worked the same push-pull, with a palpable ’80s influence throughout. Satin boxer shorts were paired with oversized moto jackets and ruffled metallic boots, and suits in colourful tweeds and shocking royal blue went with Ghesquière-ified boxing shoes. There was plenty of leather: strong-shouldered coats and jackets heavy on patchwork and embroidery, zippered trousers and buckled jumpsuits. Haring’s squiggles surfaced on tops and dresses folded like origami, while the final few looks featured voluminous ruffled tops that wouldn’t be remiss on one of The Frick’s many portraits – except worn with capris and cargos.
Of course, then there were the handbags: sparkling takeaway containers and vinyl records reimagined as clutches, a mini version of the opening suitcase, a top-handle bag shaped like an ionic column, monogram Speedy and Alma bags featuring drawings by Haring, and iterations with NYC-inspired patchwork. Thirteen years in, Ghesquière knows exactly what the Louis Vuitton customer will want to carry out the door.
Photography courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
