Style Edit: Why Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of women’s collections, chose Antoni Gaudí’s Park Güell in Barcelona for the maison’s cruise 2025 show

Nov 11 , 2024

Juxtaposing Nicolas Ghesquière’s sharp tailoring against the whimsical architecture of Antoni Gaudí‘s Park Güell in Barcelona, Louis Vuitton’s cruise 2025 collection showcased vibrant colours, bold silhouettes, and nods to 80s party aesthetics and cowboy chic. Photos: Handout

Juxtaposing Ghesquière’s sharp tailoring against Gaudí‘s whimsical architecture, the collection showcased vibrant colours, bold silhouettes, and nods to 80s party aesthetics and cowboy chic

At the heart of Louis Vuitton is the spirit of travel – the building blocks upon which the brand’s aesthetics and ethos are founded. It’s no surprise that the brand’s artistic director of women’s collections, Nicolas Ghesquière, took the cruise 2025 show on the road to one of the world’s most recognisable architectural attractions, Barcelona’s Park Güell.

Saoirse Ronan and Cynthia Erivo at the Louis Vuitton cruise 2025 show in May, at Barcelona’s Park Güell

The May show saw Ghesquière juxtapose his sharp tailoring and flamboyant palette with the whimsical imagery and organic proportions of Antoni Gaudí’s architectural vision. The Unesco World Heritage site was transformed into an architectural utopia in which Louis Vuitton’s cruise 2025 creations came to life.

With its whimsical, avant-garde architecture, Antoni Gaudí‘s Park Güell in Barcelona was chosen as the backdrop to Louis Vuitton’s cruise 2025 show

The public garden, first completed in 1914, continues to be a source of fascination and wonder for travellers from around the world. Much like Louis Vuitton, the identity of the park and the legacy of Gaudí continue to evolve with the shifting dynamics of culture and design. Cemented in colourful mosaics for over a century, Gaudí’s avant-garde aesthetic has come to embody the essence of Barcelona.

Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière infused Spanish flair into the maison’s cruise 2025 collection

Nicolas Ghesquière has infused Spanish flair into this collection, skilfully playing with graphic contrasts between light and shadow. The resulting pieces conjure feelings of adventure, discovery and a sense of nostalgia – no less thanks to details that pay homage to the flamboyant party aesthetics of the 80s, and hints of city cowboy chic that draw parallels with Louis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams’ fashion ethos.

A vibrant blue, one-shoulder minidress from Louis Vuitton’s cruise 2025 collection features an exaggerated parachute hem

Pieces emphasise architectural volumes and fluid draping, as seen on the park-turned-runway. The drama of volume in pieces such as the vibrant blue, one-shoulder minidress with an exaggerated parachute hem provides a striking contrast with more fluid silhouettes, including various dropped-waist looks. There is also a voluminous beige skirt with exaggerated hips, paired with a crimson top constructed through meticulous draping.

A voluminous beige skirt with exaggerated hips is paired with a crimson top constructed through meticulous draping, both from Louis Vuitton’s cruise 2025 collection