Scene setting: Nicolas Ghesquière has the power to turn the Louvre each season into whatever his mind summons, be it the never-ending corridors of a futuristic spaceship or, as last season, the outside of Beaubourg complete with a retro rendition of Renzo Piano’s Centre Georges Pompidou façade. This time, though, he chose simplicity.
In an outside cour just past the pyramid entrance of the museum, the French maison had installed a plywood box-shaped building with generous light, a cream carpet and what seemed to be a wood-patterned background… which, as the show started, turned out to be a giant screen, in which the video for It’s Okay to Cry started playing, doubling as the show’s soundtrack. Released last year, the song was written by Glasgow-born musician Sophie (best known for producing for Madonna or Charli XCX) and the colourful, cosmic-inspired video set an otherworldly tone for fashion month’s last show.
Best in show: The collection, however, didn’t look forward as much as it did back. At Ghesquière shows, guests are trained to expect one or the other; however, no one had seen this season’s inspiration coming: Belle Epoque-era Paris. Backstage, the designer referenced the illustrations of Alfons Mucha and the works of Marcel Proust, but there was also a reflection on how the early 21st century mimics the early 20th century, with its technological revolutions and societal changes.
On the catwalk, those musings were expressed through hi-tech fabrics covered in Art Nouveau prints viewed through a Biba and Carnaby Street filter. Proportions were mini, shoulders were structured but never oversized, waists were cinched and volume play was concentrated in the sleeves. A rich colour palette and texture variety gave the collection a distinctly modern appeal.
Finishing touches: Accessories – undeniable eye candy at Ghesquière’s Vuitton –mixed classic monogrammed totes, new best-sellers including the egg-shaped bag, which this season took on bigger proportions and a softer, less structured quality, and pop culture references, in the form of VHS cassette-shaped leather bags with fictional movie titles that referenced the early history of the Vuitton maison.
History was also in the hair, a brilliant mix of late 60’s high volume and Gibson girl buns paired with a pristine makeup look that directed all the attention to the Burgundy-tinted, glossy mouths. If the collection will be present on all the trend reports of the season, so will the accessories and beauty. Last night, Nicolas Ghesquière proved once again that his creative vision is global.
-
The Stuff That Surrounds, episode three: Inside the home of architect Glenn SestigIn The Stuff That Surrounds, Wallpaper* explores a life through objects. This episode, we’re invited inside an architectural gem – just what you'd expect from one of the most distinctive voices in the field today
-
Germane Barnes just transformed a humble Indiana parking garage into an enormous sub-woofer systemWith Joy Riding, the Miami-based designer’s installation at Exhibit Columbus, Barnes celebrates togetherness by evoking Black car culture
-
The best Ruth Asawa exhibition is actually on the streets of San FranciscoThe artist, now the subject of a major retrospective at SFMOMA, designed many public sculptures scattered across the Bay Area – you just have to know where to look
-
Louis Vuitton’s duo of Osaka exhibitions celebrate the house’s deep-rooted relationship with JapanUnfolding in Osaka this summer, ‘Visionary Journeys’ is a transporting trip into the house’s history, while ‘Yayoi Kusama – Infinity’ promises an immersion into the works of the Japanese artist, who is a longstanding Louis Vuitton collaborator
-
Glenn Martens’ thrilling Maison Margiela debut was a balancing act between past, present and futureThe Belgian designer made his debut for the house last night with a collection that looked towards medieval decoration for a new expression of opulence
-
Art meets perfume in cross-disciplinary fragrance series Nez 1+1Talents from film and fragrance come together to create Ansongo, the latest scent resulting from a creative matchmaking project by perfume revue Nez
-
Haute Couture Week A/W 2025: what to expectFive moments to look out for at Haute Couture Week A/W 2025 in Paris (starting Monday 7 July), from Glenn Martens’ debut for Maison Margiela to Demna’s Balenciaga swansong. Plus, ‘new beginnings’ from JW Anderson
-
The collections you might have missed this S/S 2026 menswear seasonBetween the headliners in Paris, Milan and Florence, a few off-schedule displays are deserving of honourable mention – from Martine Rose’s sexually-charged portrait of Kensington Market to Sander Lak’s appointment-only namesake debut
-
‘They gave me carte blanche to do what I want’: Paul Kooiker photographs the students of Gerrit Rietveld Academie for Acne StudiosHeralding the launch of a new permanent gallery from fashion label Acne Studios, the celebrated Dutch photographer’s new body of work praises the bravery of ‘people who choose to go to an art school at a time like this’
-
‘I’m surprised that I got this far’: Rick Owens on his bombastic Paris retrospective, ‘Temple of Love’The Dark Prince of Fashion sits down with Wallpaper* to discuss legacy, love, and growing old in Paris as a display at the Palais Galliera tells the story of his subversive career
-
The standout shows of Paris Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2026: Hermès to Craig GreenWallpaper* picks the very best of Paris Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2026, from Véronique Nichanian’s portrait of summer in the city for Hermès to Craig Green’s return to the Paris runway
