Style Edit: Nicolas Ghesquière’s fantasy island vision comes to life in Louis Vuitton’s 2024 cruise campaign, shot by Jamie Hawkesworth and starring Emma Laird of Mayor of Kingstown fame
- Shot on Italy’s enchanting Isola Bella in Lake Maggiore, Louis Vuitton’s 2024 cruise campaign is true to Nicolas Ghesquière’s signature eclectic, futurist, often fantastical style
- Mayor of Kingstown actress and former model Emma Laird stars in the campaign, shot by Jamie Hawkesworth, alongside models Mica Argañaraz, Ida Heiner, Valentina Castro and Chu Wong
Staged against the backdrop of an ornate, baroque-style palace complete with lush gardens, the collection was in keeping with the singular vision carved out by artistic director of women’s collections Nicolas Ghesquière.
Embracing an eclectic, futurist and often fantastical style, which has become Ghesquière’s signature, the looks delved into aquatic folklore to create fairy-tale figures with modern appeal. Each character transformed as the collection transitioned from familiar to exceptional, from ordinary to extraordinary.
Aquatic materials like neoprene were tailored into winged wetsuits or patterned like seaweed. Skirts were covered in sequinned ornaments that resembled scales, while water droplet embellishments joined embroidered shells. Collars morphed into fantastical fins. Some models wore eye-catching headdresses crafted by an atelier specialising in film and opera accessories, adding to the baroque feel.
The pastel colour palette reflected the beauty of the location and its surrounding waters, while contrasting materials such as silk jacquard, cashmere, jersey and organza provided a narrative for the transformation, embodied in multiple stylistic ideas. Formal evening wear collided with urban signatures to create a fresh look.