Louis Vuitton Cruise 2027: A Celebration Of Art, Fashion, Architecture, And Everything In Between

So far, the Cruise 2027 collections have taken us to many different parts of the world; Chanel in Biarritz, Dior in Los Angeles, and Gucci in New York. On May 21, Louis Vuitton followed suit, staging its Cruise show in New York City. Staged at The Frick Collection — one of the last Gilded Age mansions-turned-museums in New York City — the show marked the start of a three-year partnership between the maison and the museum, whose collection spans artworks from the Renaissance through to the 19th century.

Continuing Nicholas Ghesquiere’s exploration between art, fashion, and architecture, the pieces in the Cruise 2027 collection were crafted with the same artful and sculptural vision; Peaches’ Boys Wanna Be Her played as models appeared in clothes that ricocheted between the Renaissance era, ‘60s mod, ‘80s power suits, ‘90s retro, and somewhere in the future. This medley of chaos became one in control. In all the theatrics that Cruise 2027 has served us, Louis Vuitton’s collection stands as a refreshing palette cleanser, presenting energetic, contemporary and above all, wearable clothes that marry the past, present, and future.

See also: 17 Best Celebrity Looks Spotted At The Louis Vuitton Cruise 2027 Show

A strong showing of leather 

Exquisite leather pieces dominated the first half of the show – from belted blazers with studs with an Americana flair, to colour-blocked minidresses with ruffled skirts that looked like they came straight out of a sci-fi movie into a historical one. There was also a set of power shoulders bearing blazers and shorts in punchy red. Such hefty material can easily be written off as stiff or rigid, but rendered in vibrant colours with relaxed silhouettes, they are anything but. 

Renaissance romanticism

Throughout, the pieces flirted with the delicacy and femininity of Renaissance influences. Think: ruffled partlet borrowed from Medieval women worn with utility trousers, and fluffy sleeves over pristine, pastel capri one-pieces. Bouncing fluidly across different eras, the collection felt almost like a lesson in historical dressing without veering into costume territory.

Art by Keith Haring

A Louis Vuitton 1930s leather suitcase reworked with graphic doodles by ‘80s pop artist, Keith Haring, became the sole teaser ahead of the presentation. In the collection itself, the artist’s graphics injected a sense of playfulness and high energy to the overall vibe: a boxy sleeveless top appeared with Haring’s drawing aptly titled Big Apple as a nod to the show’s location, and elsewhere, the same doodle styles were also featured on dresses and leather jackets.

Retro futurism

Don’t forget that Nicholas Ghesquière is one of this fashion’s prominent futurists. The Cruise offerings saw this manifested into tactility in scribbly lace-like tops, dresses peeking through cut-out tops, and sheer chiffon blouses with black geometrical lines. While the younger generation of the brand’s devotees may not have lived the futuristic wave of the ‘90s, these silhouettes strike as remarkably relevant and of-the-moment.

Playful collectible accessories

Pillbox hats were hard to miss, accompanying nearly every look on the runway offered both as protection and accessory. One look at the bags and it’s easy to denote the collectible value each carried, from vinyl record-shaped clutches to stamp-embellished Speedy handbags among a series of other eclectic minaudieres. For the more playful of us, Ghesquiere proposed monogram boxing gloves as accessories and metallic heeled sneakers that straddled perfectly between the realms of street style and futurism.