Louis Vuitton 2026 cruise show in Avignon: Nicolas Ghesquière treats the audience, including front-row guests Emma Stone and Cate Blanchett, to visions of ‘female knights’ and a courtly theme

May 23 , 2025

Held at the Palais des Papes in France, Nicolas Ghesquière’s Louis Vuitton cruise 2026 show treated front-row guests Emma Stone and Cate Blanchett to visions of “female knights” and a courtly theme. Photo: AFP

Held at the 14th century Palais des Papes, the show paid homage to history and the theatre, blending references to stage costumes, medieval armour and Gothic motifs

When Louis Vuitton announced last month that its 2026 cruise show would take place at the Palais des Papes in Avignon, a monumental papal palace in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France, the French luxury label couldn’t have predicted that the pomp and circumstance of the papacy would make front page news only a few days later, when Pope Francis passed away.

Just two weeks before the unveiling of the collection, the Catholic Church named a new pope, Leo XIV, the first US-born pontiff in history.

Built in less than 20 years starting in 1335, the Palais des Papes became a temporary papal residence during a time of turmoil in the Vatican in the 14th century. Considered one of the most important Gothic buildings in Europe, the palace hosted six conclaves between 1335 and 1394. It was named a Unesco World Heritage site in 1995.

Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière takes a bow at the maison’s 2026 cruise show in Avignon, France. Photo: Reuters

The grandeur and history of the papacy, however, were not on Louis Vuitton womenswear artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière’s mind when he picked the landmark as a backdrop for the unveiling of the collection.

Since 1947 the palace has been home to the Festival d’Avignon, one of France’s most celebrated cultural events.

In an interview before the show, the designer recalled attending the festival at the age of 29, when he caught performances by artists such as Icelandic musician Björk and German dancer Pina Bausch. He called the experience of being surrounded by so much culture as a young man “a game changer in my aesthetic as a designer”.

A dress inspired by a medieval coat of arms. Photo: AFP

This latest collection pays homage to the costumes of stage performers. Other references included the armour of medieval knights, the tapestries decorating the interior of the Palais des Papes – and even the legend of Excalibur, the mythical sword of King Arthur.

Accessories ranged from open-toed boots, heavily embellished with mirror fragments and crystals, to Louis Vuitton’s signature bags such as the Alma and the Petite Malle decorated with Gothic motifs. Three boxy bags made of wood were the result of a collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Paris-based independent designer Thomas Rogers.

A gold-toned Alma bag at Louis Vuitton’s 2026 cruise show. Photo: AFP

Louis Vuitton 2026 cruise show in Avignon: Nicolas Ghesquière treats the audience, including front-row guests Emma Stone and Cate Blanchett, to visions of ‘female knights’ and a courtly theme

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Held at the 14th century Palais des Papes, the show paid homage to history and the theatre, blending references to stage costumes, medieval armour and Gothic motifs

Held at the 14th century Palais des Papes, the show paid homage to history and the theatre, blending references to stage costumes, medieval armour and Gothic motifs