We’re not giving out any points for guessing who the person in charge of Louis Vuitton’s menswear is, given Pharrell’s appointment at the House was maybe the most talked about fashion moment of 2023; but do you know who the House’s womenswear Creative Director is?
In case you’re out of the loop, we’ve compiled a rundown of Nicolas Ghesquière’s long history designing womenswear at Louis Vuitton, from how he made his name to his impact at LV. Basically, if you don’t know, get to know; the SS24 show’s today so there’s no time to lose.
Nicolas Ghesquière has been Creative Director of Louis Vuitton’s womenswear since 2013, and in the past ten years has been credited with re-energising and re-elevating the House’s aesthetic. His debut collection at Louis Vuitton for Fall/Winter 2014-2015 was the start of a new era, featuring clean cut silhouettes, stark geometric shapes, and bold pops of colour, all without neglecting icons of the brand like the LV monogram print.
To understand the full weight of Nicolas Ghesquière’s impact at LV and on fashion in general, you kind of need to know where he began his career. Ghesquière first broke into the fashion industry as an assistant to Jean-Paul Gaultier in the early ‘90s, a job which he actually turned down a place at art school for, following the belief that it’s not what you know but who you know – and he obviously turned out to be right.
After assisting Jean-Paul Gaultier for two years, Ghesquière moved onto freelancing which is how he first gained the connections that resulted in him designing at Balenciaga. Then, after working at Balenciaga for two years, the House’s then Creative Director was let go and Ghesquière took over the position in 1997 at only 25 years old.
In his time at Balenciaga, Ghesquière gained a reputation for turning declining Houses into gold dust. Sales reportedly doubled during his first three years, and his design style was credited with being the brand’s saviour. So after fifteen years at the House, when it was announced Ghesquière would take over from Marc Jacobs as Creative Director of Louis Vuitton’s womenswear, it wasn’t hard to see why.
At Louis Vuitton, Ghesquière’s design style became a symbol of the ultimate luxury, innovation, and exploration. He maintained the brand’s relevance whilst ensuring it stayed grounded in its past, using his common values with LV as well as his personal, sharp aesthetic and innovative craftsmanship to create the aesthetic that we know today.
Given the collections Nicolas Ghesquière’s turned out at Louis Vuitton so far, he’s already more than earned his reputation as one of the most iconic designers of this generation. He’s the perfect example of the benefit of hiring a truly gifted designer over a celebrity for clout. Now we’re just holding out for what the Louis Vuitton womenswear show includes today at 2:30pm CEST. Be sure you don’t miss it.
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