Louis Vuitton’s New Palm Springs Cruise Collection

The luxury brand, Louis Vuitton, has decided to set their 2015/2016 cruise collection in the desert sun of Palm Springs, California, where they grasped all their inspiration from.

“Why Palm Springs?” as many have speculated to the brands interesting choice of inspiration.

Chief executive for Louis Vuitton, Michael Burke answers everyone’s questions with:

“People were bemused by our decision: ‘Isn’t that where people go to die?’ But they don’t know who really lives here. Palm Springs is forward-looking, futuristic, modernist, cutting edge, audacious. People had written off California, but all of a sudden it’s going through a tremendous rebirth. It’s not just Silicon Valley, it’s the entertainment industry, it’s the music, everything. There’s a super creative spirit around this whole valley.”

Designer cruise lines are big because they are the clothes you see both on the runway and then immediately on the rack. They are ready-to-wear pieces for all seasons that will be for sale from Christmas to the following May.

Other major designer brands have also announced their locations. Burberry kicked it off last month in LA with their rendition of their Fall/Winter 2015 collection. Following them is Dior premiering in Cannes next week. Chanel is set to show in Seoul and Gucci will be in New York next month.

In attendance for the show were 550 flown in guests in which 60 percent were clients according to Burke. The brand not only flew all guests, but set up comfortable accommodations for all as well.

Burke did not mind the loads of time and money put into the event because “cruise allows you to have a much louder voice because you’re outside a trade show,” he said.

He explains trade shows like fashion week, are “for editors, photographers, buyers – it’s for the press.” Whereas the cruise line is unique.

“The advantage of cruise is that they aren’t that many. There are only three brands [Dior, Chanel and LV] that can pull it off. Some have tried to do a one-off. Only three houses have made it a habit. So, with a show like this, there’s less dilution. And the designer has a stage. And as long as you choose a venue that has some resonance, it works.”

Louis Vuitton’s creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere grasped her inspiration from a futuristic style house designed by American architect John Lautner for his wife in 1973.

“The main inspiration for this show was in the radicalism of the house. I loved the contradiction of the sweetness of the look and the hard 1950s glamour: the pretty wallpaper, very thick carpet and crazy colour. It was so ahead of its time,” Ghesquiere told Financial Times backstage.

Ghesquiere created a more relaxing a subtle collection than he has had in the past. His FW 2014 collection wore a lot more leather and silk fabrics with chain detailing. This collection was much inspired by California for its easy flowing feel and bohemian style.

lvcruise-instagram

 

via Instagram/bevansburg

 

He describes it as “all about cooler, effortless length” and wanting to “explore a certain lightness.”

He showed off his most wearable collection yet at the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Burke describes the collection as, “[…] long, fluid, very strong: the woman was romantic, but in combat mode. She was determined. She walked with a determined step.”

He even admitted, “We let loose” for this collection.

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via Instagram/frontrowmode

Even residents were excited to see the brand create attention to their city. Though they may have not been familiar with the brand they welcomed them with open arms.

“Is it not an Yves Saint Laurent show?” one local asked outside the show, “Well. Whoever it is, it’s great for this town.

We haven’t had this much attention for years.”

 

 

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