May 18, 2022: Even though Louis Vuitton’s Cruise 2023 collection was showcased four days ago, we are still reverberating from its long-lasting impact.
Held at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, California, the collection matched the otherworldly setting, as well the philosophy of the institute that promotes biomedical research.
Architect Louis Kahn put the sun, the creator of life, at the heart of the Salk Institute. Launched in 1965, Mr. Kahn created a serene concrete monastery for enlightened souls.
At a specific time of the day, during a blazing sunset, the sun is perfectly framed by the building within the precise axis of the central fountain. The combination of the sun rays and shimmering water bathes everything in a golden hue.
Louis Vuitton played its show at this specific hour where changes in temperature set a stylistic tempo. Star Trek and Star Wars fuse as metallic warrior shoulders are covered with ‘sack-like’ clothes. Linen, jacquard, silk, leather, tweed – all culminate in a glorious, ultramodern vision.
It is, hands down, one of the most innovative fashion collections we have seen in the past few years. Nicolas Ghesquiere has outdone his past work with these original creations.
The Salk Institute joins other exceptional settings that have been part of Louis Vuitton’s architectural journey in recent years: the Bob and Dolores Hope Estate designed by John Lautner in Palm Springs, California (2015); the MAC by Oscar Niemeyer in Niteroi, Brazil (2016); the Miho Museum by Ieoh Ming Pei outside Kyoto, Japan (2017); and the TWA Flight Center by Eero Saarinen at JFK airport in New York (2019).
