If you’ve been following the remarkable 10-year tenure of Nicolas Ghesquière at Louis Vuitton, you know that the women’s creative director of the French maison likes to make a statement not only with his collections but also with the locations of his destination shows. Since unveiling the label’s first cruise range in May 2015 in the Principality of Monaco, Ghesquière has outdone himself year after year with breathtaking venues, which provide the ideal counterpoint to his creations without stealing the limelight entirely from the garments. For a brand rooted in travel like Louis Vuitton, the cruise show provides an excellent opportunity to showcase the label’s wares in settings that reflect its heritage as a luggage maker as well as its position as a luxury powerhouse of global scope.
As a fan of California, Ghesquière spends a lot of time there, so it’s no surprise he has held two memorable shows in the state: in 2015, at the Bob and Dolores Hope Estate in Palm Springs, designed by modernist architect John Lautner, and more recently in 2022, at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies overlooking the Pacific Ocean in San Diego. Ghesquière’s ability to uncover lesser-known architectural gems and put them on the map has been a gift to those lucky enough to attend Louis Vuitton cruise shows over the years. In 2016, the label took guests to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the designer unveiled the cruise 2017 collection at the stunning Niterói Contemporary A.