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A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

A Guide to All Creative Directors

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The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested

The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused

The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused

Last night, as the sun slowly set over the city of Avignon, a scene quite different from the nursery rhyme about the City of Popes that lulled our childhood began. Far from the Paris Fashion Week runways and the halls of the Louvre where it usually parades, the house of Louis Vuitton settled in Avignon to present its Resort 2026 collection. Ignoring the protesters from the Attac association, who demonstrated Thursday night against the show held in the Honor Courtyard of the Palais des Papes — privatized for the occasion — Nicolas Ghesquière revealed to the fashion world a surprising collection, though not necessarily in a good way.

The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567352
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567351
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567350
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567349
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567348
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567347
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567346
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567345
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567343
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567342
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567341
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567340
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567339
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567338

It all began in the 2000s, when Nicolas Ghesquière visited the Palais des Papes in this small southern French town for an exhibition on the millennium theme. It only took a few moments for this 14th-century historic building — the largest medieval structure in Europe, once the seat of Western Christianity and now renowned as a UNESCO World Heritage Site — to capture the heart of the man now the Artistic Director of Women's Fashion at Louis Vuitton. Two decades later, it was naturally this place, rich in magic, religion, and history, that Ghesquière chose to unveil his 2026 Cruise Collection. A collection with a strong religious and historical heritage, yes, but also with many influences that suggest this mix may have gone a bit too far.

The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567337
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567336
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567335
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567334
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567333
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567332
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567331
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567330
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567329
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567328
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567327
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567326
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567325
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567324
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567323

Comprising 45 looks, the collection resembles an explosive cocktail of influences and aesthetics, which, rather than just making us dizzy, may well give us a fashion hangover. The first outfit — a barely describable dress fit for a campfire night à la Tiger Lily or an interstellar voyage — immediately sets the tone for a festival of textures, colors, patterns, and styles parading before our eyes. From futuristic silver to earthy tones, glittering fabrics to colorful leathers, designs evoking both Native American and Ancient Egyptian styles, including houndstooth prints and front-open sandals seemingly straight out of Ancient Rome, the collection ends up losing us. While the craftsmanship is undeniably impressive, the whole thing takes us from distant past to hypothetical future, so much so we lose sense of space-time. The only thing we’re sure of is that we’d like to get off the ride.

The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567322
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567321
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567320
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567319
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567318
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567317
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567316
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567315
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567314
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567313
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567312
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567311
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567310
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567309
The Cruise 2026 of Louis Vuitton is an explosive cocktail that we are not sure can be digested  The French house mixes medieval aesthetics, science fiction and ancient folklore in a collection as ambitious as confused | Image 567308

Although the collection is composed almost exclusively of dresses and skirts, with only 4 pants among 45 looks, it’s hard to believe it was designed in a cruise spirit. Materials like fur, wool, or suede seem somewhat ambiguous; the symbolism is unclear, and the storytelling, confusing. While the idea of drawing on medieval aesthetics and its rich history is interesting — especially given the show’s setting — it’s clear the execution falls short. Let's hope that Pharrell Williams, who is expected to present his SS26 collection for Louis Vuitton during the men’s fashion week in Paris in June, will be able to bring the brand back into this century.