Louis Vuitton celebrated the 200th anniversary of its founder’s birthday at Paris Fashion Week, with a historical yet forward-thinking spring/summer 2022 show

- Nicolas Ghesquiere imagined a historic ball and ‘the figure of a vampire’ at the Louvre, drawing inspiration from the 19th century, the 1920s and the luxury brand’s first clients
- Extinction Rebellion climate activists caused a furore by protesting against fashion’s unsustainable practices directly on the runway
“Like a trousseau that is passed down and modified over time,” was how Louis Vuitton designer Nicolas Ghesquiere described his encyclopedic show, which celebrated the 200-year anniversary since the birth of the house’s eponymous founder.


For the sumptuous Louvre show that marked the milestone, Ghesquiere imagined a charmed historic ball.

“The figure of a vampire that travels throughout the ages” was a key inspiration in the display, he said. The collection seemed at times like a visual phantasmagoria, dipping in and out of different time periods as the house itself looks back to its heritage and forward to the future.


Historic detailing – the first looks featured fastidious 1920s-style embroidery from a stock of 19th century beads, followed by stiff collars held by metal wiring – mixed with contemporary pieces, such as funky fluorescent Roman sandals.