October 1, 2025 |
Can you imagine calling the grand galleries of the Louvre home? For its SS26 show, Louis Vuitton took us to the newly renovated 17th century summer apartments of Anne of Austria, Queen of France and mother of Louis XIV. These are the rooms from which she reigned, first as queen and then regent for her son who was crowned aged just four.
That sense of being in a private, personal space, (however much gold leaf there is on the ceiling), struck a chord with Nicolas Ghesquière, who spoke of wanting to evoke, “The serenity that you can feel when you are in the comfort of your home.” He mused too, on the liberating effect of privacy on personal style. “When you dress and you stay home, it’s not only jogging pants. You can dress with fun and sophistication at home. But you dress for yourself first.”
We’ve all heard the sentiment, dance like there’s nobody watching. Ghesquiere put a fashion skew on that. Dress like there’s nobody watching was his message.
Starting from a place where conventions don’t belong and personal preferences are indulged to the max must have been liberating for the designer, who is always associated with sci-fi futurism. The focus on a cosier, more domestic sphere brought a whole new comfort-dressing facet to his oeuvre and unleashed his creativity.
There was plenty of glamorous lounge wear like the sheer smoke grey pyjamas and dressing gown with curving seams picked out in black piping or the fluffy Teddy bear coats modelled on bathrobes, some encrusted with crystal flowers. Eccentricities were freely expressed with cute little drop crotch rompers, pink negligee dresses worn over tailored trousers, fluffy bed cardigans, zip-off arctic white track pants layered over stripy long johns.
Ghesquiere’s experimental side found freedom of expression in lantern shaped skirts, and appliqué ‘bedspread’ tops, or the wooden coasters used in lieu of sequins to decorate hems. Models sauntered around the salons carrying handbags modelled on wash bags, wearing over-sized turbans and tapestry slippers with matching socks.
The show closed with a striking fringed romper, each strand a dégradé of minuscule beads which created an impressionist landscape. Staying in never looked so good.
Photography courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
