The Savoir Faire Behind Nicolas Ghesquière's Louis Vuitton Line

Photo Credit: Grégoire Vieille for Louis Vuitton

With his Spring/Summer 2020 Women’s collection for Louis Vuitton, Artistic Director Nicolas Ghesquière brings the celebrated Belle Époque era to life. The 43-year long period in French history was characterized by the idea of optimism, following the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. This hopeful outlook adopted by the French as a whole resulted in a flourishing output of creativity and culture that spanned across the arts as a whole. A celebration of the splendors of life, the romanticism and refinement of the era is clearly reflected in Ghesquière’s collection, with elements like the cattleya orchid worn on the lapel, and the vibrant colors, full of zest and excitement. Though the finished product tells such a decorated tale in itself, the richest part of the story lies in the architecture of the piece, in its savoir-faire. The dedicated Louis Vuitton artisans that construct each and every detail with nothing less than an expert level of craftsmanship, passed down with over 160 years of experience and excellence, are the real narrators of the stories. Not only is heritage kept alive through the design of a perfectly tailored blouse or an immaculately formed pair of shoes; but also, in the developmental techniques, with an almost unbelievable attention to detail that allows for an uncompromising level of quality, continually maintained through generations upon generations. Louis Vuitton’s version of savoir-faire is not just about “know how” or “proficiency,” as the direct translation would suggest; rather, it is an unparalleled level of mastery and artistry that, when combined, yields a piece of wearable art with such a beautiful future ahead, and an equally beautiful past behind.

Photo Credit: Grégoire Vieille for Louis VuittonPhoto Credit: Grégoire Vieille for Louis VuittonPhoto Credit: Grégoire Vieille for Louis VuittonPhoto Credit: Grégoire Vieille for Louis VuittonPhoto Credit: Grégoire Vieille for Louis VuittonPhoto Credit: Grégoire Vieille for Louis VuittonPhoto Credit: Grégoire Vieille for Louis VuittonPhoto Credit: Grégoire Vieille for Louis VuittonPhoto Credit: Grégoire Vieille for Louis VuittonPhoto Credit: Grégoire Vieille for Louis VuittonPhoto Credit:Grégoire Vieille for Louis Vuitton