'There Is Almost Nothing Casual,' Nicolas Ghesquière On The LV 2025 Cruise Collection
When it comes to fashion's Cruise Collection outings, Nicolas Ghesquière's extravaganza shows are always among the hotly anticipated. Now in his tenth year as Creative Director at the French House, his latest instalment is a testament to why.
From the graphic suiting to the leather tassel accessories, as the designer said himself, 'there is almost nothing causal' about this collection. The show's location certainly set the mood: pulling into port at Barcelona's Park Güell, a UNESCO heritage site designed by renegade architect Antoni Gaudí.
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The otherworldly garden featured sloping walkways, glittering mosaics and towering columns — providing a breathtaking backdrop to the 56-look collection. 'For me, it's incredible, an example of Gaudí's fantasy, and the layers of creativity that it has expressed is so unique', the designer told ELLE UK ahead of the show. Ghesquière has now weaved his Cruise fantasy into the park's centuries-old history with 'echoes of the city and of Gaudí in the collection.'
Over the past 10 years, Ghesquière has created a catalogue of love letters to some of the world's most beautiful cities and their architectural wonders. This latest show is 'another travel notebook,' said Ghesquière. 'We have been writing the story with LV for a decade now.'
For the Cruise 2025 collection, inspiration was found in the locale and the vibrant culture of Spain itself, which the designer sees as a place of duality. 'When I think of Spain, I think about grandness,' Ghesquière said, while also acknowledging the vibrant youth culture of the European capital. He also looked to classic sources like Velasquez and Goya and the Spanish film Asbestos.
The show began with intent. Graphic suit jackets and wide-brim off-kilter fedoras brought serious 80s energy. Models, hands in pockets and sunglasses on, descended the stone staircases into the column-framed 'Hypostyle Room' as the show lights came up. A low-fi 80s soundscape featuring Music for Chameleons by Gary Numan and Madame Butterfly by Malcolm McLaren played in the background.
From the celebrity-studded front row to the accessories to keep your eye out for, here's everything you need to know about the show.
The Location
In keeping with his usual penchant for architectural wonders, Nicolas Ghesquière chose Barcelona's Park Güell to anchor the 2025 Cruise Collection. Designed by the inimitable Antoni Gaudí, the show saw 56 looks weave through the iconic garden's curved stone structures and mosaic detailing.
The show began in the famed cavernous walkways before models made their way into the famed Hypostyle Room, the front row was seated beneath its domed ceilings and towering columns.
The Front Row
It was a glittering affair: Hollywood's finest turned up en masse. The LV-It Girl crew was in attendance, of course. Saoirse Ronan paired her textured chin-length bob with a black buckled coat dress, while Chloë Grace Moretz made a case for warm-weather leather in block-coloured biker trousers and a silky black shirt.
Sophie Turner literally turned heads with her new collar-length blonde hairstyle; the actress wore a baby pink two-piece 60s-style suit and completed her look with a miniature white bag. Phoebe Dyenvor looked great in a black leather mini-skirt and high-shine boots, while tennis superstar Naomi Osaka sparkled in a sheer skirt rendered smart-casual with a soft grey roll neck. Cynthia Erivo brought some serious cool girl energy in her faux-fur oversized shawl, white T-shirt and hanky-hem skirt.
The Clothes
The colour palette for the opening looks was elevated and neutral, though '80s styling notes and gold-detail brooches brought plenty of flare. Super shoulder pads were a nod to Ghesquière's command of tailoring, while later looks demonstrated his mastery of draping, with silky tops and cowl necks front and centre.
There was a lot of sheer to look at, too; particularly striking were the polka dot iterations, which came in pussy bow blouses and floor-length, sheer gowns. The quartet of glittering caplet dresses was a particular highlight, rendered futuristic with overlaid body harnesses.
Trousers referred to the movie Asbestos, among Ghesquière's inspiration sources, which manifested as equestrian tailoring and jodhpur style cuts. Texture also took centre stage with glittering leather, tassel-covered lapels and pleated, raw-edge organza fabrics.
The closing looks were a big standout, with bubble hems and body-transforming cuts. The skirts were particularly effective, especially the beige-toned, knee length style, paired with an exaggerated navel-barring top in bright red.
The Accessories
Ghesquière has called it: The Fedora hat is back, and is best styled off-kilter and with Princess Anne-style sunglasses for the coming season.
There were two key footwear standouts, too: the high-shine, prismatic pointed-toe boots in black and silver, and the tassel-covered boots.
As for bags, the smaller, the better. Evening-style clutches with short straps or shoulder chains came in classic leather hues and gunmetal greys. There were also nods to LV's luggage legacy with tiny suitcase-inspired box styles. Go hands-free and note the double-pocket criss-cross belt variety.
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