Grace Coddington has always carried pieces of her personal world into her creative work, and her cats have played a central role in that process. “My cats are not just adorable and comforting companions, they are also a constant source of inspiration,” she says. That sentiment shapes her latest collaboration with Louis Vuitton, where her lifelong love for illustration and storytelling comes together with the House’s Travels With series.
The project builds on her 2019 collaboration Catogram, which introduced Pumpkin and Blanket in dialogue with Nicolas Ghesquière’s dogs, Achille and Léon. This time, her current companions—Blondie, Blanket, and Jimi—step into the spotlight. Their imagined journey spans Sydney, London, the Amazon, the Great Wall of China, and even outer space.
To mark these travels, Ms. Coddington designed a series of patches inspired by the labels once used on Louis Vuitton trunks, each recording a stop along the way.
The collaboration also speaks to how Ms. Coddington herself approaches travel. As the guest of Louis Vuitton Travels With, she presents her version of a functional yet stylish wardrobe for seasoned travellers.
Midi dresses feature House prints alongside her exclusive cats-and-mice motif. Pyjamas double as chic daywear, while sandals and tennis shoes replace heels. For long trips, she leans on comforting layers—cashmere, silk, cotton, and knitwear—choosing fabrics that feel soft and practical on journeys by flight or train.
Her perspective on travel extends into luggage. Drawing on Louis Vuitton’s history as a box-maker and trunk-maker, she translates her skill for compartmentalising and folding into new designs for the House. Plum-coloured foldable nylon bags, including a Keepall that can lie completely flat before unfolding, reflect her focus on adaptability.
She also incorporates Louis Vuitton’s Vintage Canvas, made of linen and cotton, as a nod to the woven fabrics the House used in its trunks from 1900.
The collection would not be complete without a trunk. Coddington created a secretary trunk inspired by the historic Stokowski model, equipped for an illustrator’s journey. Inside are drawers for pencils and paintbrushes, a removable easel, and even a designated nook for her cats.
Volez, Voguez, Voyagez with Grace Coddington captures a collaboration that combines storytelling, practicality, and the emotional weight of long companionship. It is an artistic journey that stays playful without losing sight of travel’s essentials.
