The China List: Louis Vuitton, Fashion
Wallpaper* and China’s Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development Fund (CHSDF) present China By Design—a celebration of Chinese cultural heritage and the many global creatives who have been inspired by it.

In line with Louis Vuitton’s travel-focused mantra (which stems from the Parisian brand’s beginnings as a luggage purveyor), its collections journey aesthetically across time zones and countries. For S/S 2011, its then creative director Marc Jacobs and men’s studio director Paul Helbers both explored the iconography of the East. Jacobs presented sparkling evening wear that riffed on the seduction of Old Shanghai, including thigh-revealing satin qipao, Mandarin-collar halter necks, plus panda and tiger-motif blouses and knitwear, accessorised with fans and trailing beaded earrings. Elsewhere, Helbers’ relaxed yet luxurious silhouettes included blazers and travel bags laser-cut with dragons, Oriental print scarves and leather bracelets strung with golden coins.
Louis Vuitton, S/S11
Louis Vuitton has form when it comes to travelling around Asia: in 1907, the house was partner in the inaugural Beijing-Paris automobile rally, providing practical trunks for the adventure; in 1931, over 100 trunks were provided for another Asian rally. Examples of these designs were featured in ‘Volez , Voguez, Voyagez’, the maison’s 2018 luggage-focused show at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. This also featured trunks customised by Chinese artists Xu Bing and Ding Yi.
Marc Jacobs. Photography by Dominique Charriau, GettyImages
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Introducing Wallpaper’s new video series, Work in Process
In this series, Wallpaper* discovers the processes by which creative visionaries bring their work to life. First up, we head to the the Fonteyne Studio at the Royal Opera House to meet esteemed ballet dancer William Bracewell
-
Tour architect Paul Schweikher’s house, a Chicago midcentury masterpiece
Now hidden in the Chicago suburbs, architect Paul Schweikher's former home and studio is an understated midcentury masterpiece; we explore it, revisiting a story from the Wallpaper* archives, first published in April 2009
-
Technogym’s new Pilates reformer blends peak performance with sleek design
The Technogym Reform is the latest addition to the company’s design-led equipment roster, made from sustainable materials including apple-skin leather