DAVID BOWIE X LOUIS VUITTON VENICE FILM!

Louis Vuitton's masquerade ball for L'Invitation au Voyage - Venice with David Bowie and Arizona Muse. Join the ball!

BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR: LV CONFIRMED NICOLAS GHESQUIÈRE!

Louis Vuitton announced on November 4, 2013 that Nicolas Ghesquiere has been named Creative Director. (Karim Sadli/Louis Vuitton Press Office, via Landov)

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After months of speculation, Louis Vuitton has confirmed Nicholas Ghesquière will take over as the new artistic director of womenswear. [Read our 'Don't believe everything you hear..' article here!]

Since Ghesquière’s abrupt departure from Balenciaga last November, there has been much speculation over his next move. The 42-year-old takes over for Marc Jacobs, who stepped down from the role in October following the Spring/Summer 2014 show in Paris. Ghesquière will bring his long-term collaborator and stylist Marie Amélie Sauvé with him, and there are rumors that his former first assistant at Balenciaga, Natacha Ramsay, will also join his team.

Despite bitter endings, the designer’s 15-year term at Balenciaga was defined as a phenomenal success. As early as 2001, Suzy Menkes of The International Herald Tribune said, “Nicolas Ghesquière is the most intriguing and original designer of his generation. His collections are explorations of shape, volume, and embellishment that seem totally new—yet reflect in a glancing, abstract way the style of the iconic design house that shelters him.”

His work amassed such a cult following that it inspired the pertinent (now-defunct) Tumblr, Balenciaga Did It First, and his exacting mix of sportswear, tailoring, and shapes cut with couture-like precision defined the fashion landscape for many seasons. The fashion world largely has Ghesquière to thank for popularizing everything from bra tops and sculpted sleeves (although Cristobal Balenciaga did do that first), to graphic slogan sweaters—like those from the Balenciaga Fall 2012 collection that still remain the most photographed street style look in recent memory.

It’s also probable that Ghesquière, whose approach to womenswear recalls that of studied couturiers, will focus on instilling a more elite sensibility to the collections and the brand at large. It poses the question: will the spectacular Louis Vuitton presentations at Paris Fashion Week be a thing of the past? The media has come to anticipate fantastical sets, not to mention generous ticket allocations, at the Louis Vuitton shows. But, large-scale events and theatrics are not Ghesquière’s way: he prefers intimate, more traditional presentations. 

Regardless, the new artistic director will assuredly take the brand (which celebrates its 160th anniversary next year) to an exciting new place—it’s sure to be an interesting ride come March.

DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR: NICOLAS GHESQUIÈRE TO LV?!

''Easy there, rumor mill. After a series of reports—all seeming to stem from an Asian site called Luxury Society, but picked up by outlets ranging from The Cut to StyleCaster that Nicolas Ghesquière had been confirmed as Marc Jacobs’ successor at Louis Vuitton, a source at the French house told Style.com that it’s not so. The representative stated that Vuitton has no comment as to whether it’s considering Ghesquière for the creative director gig, and could not confirm when the identity of the new designer will be released. That being said, whispers about talks between Ghesquière and LVMH have been circulating for some time…and look at how last year’s rumor that Alexander Wang might get appointed to Balenciaga turned out. All we can say for now is: Stay tuned.'' —Katharine K. Zarrella, Style.com

After assisting Jean Paul Gaultier, and working on knitwear at Pôles, Ghesquière originally joined Balenciaga, at age 23, to create, "among other things, funeral clothes for the Japanese licensing market,", what he described as “what many would call the worst position in fashion”. He was named creative director of the brand two years later, in 1997. On November 5, 2012, Balenciaga announced that it was parting ways with Ghesquière, ending his 15-year tenure as creative director.

EDITORIAL!

Tino, Steff, Jouri Pieter and Felix at Ulla Models photographed by Jockum Klenell and styled by Sophie Pillen with pieces from Dolce & Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, Timberland, Filippa K, Paul Smith, Louis Vuitton, Dries Van Noten, COS, Ermenegildo Zegna and more.

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LONDON CALLING!

Max Rendell captured by the lens of Daniel Riera and styled by Mark McMahon with pieces from Louis Vuitton, Burberry Prorsum, Ermenegildo Zegna and more, for the January 2013 issue of GQ Italia.

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LOUIS VUITTON S/S 2013!

Collarless jackets, pencil skirts and duster coats in three lengths - short, knee and to the calf - couldn't help but evoke the 60s. 

"I can't seem to avoid a reference when I design," conceded Jacobs afterwards, "But it wasn't meant to be 60s. The beehive hair probably aided that". As did the shoes - low heeled, as so many have been - and also checked.

60s or not, this is another beautiful collection by Marc Jacobs!

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LOUIS VUITTON, CORE VALUES!

The most decorated Olympian of all time Michael Phelps is the new face of Louis Vuitton Core Values. He stars alongside former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who won 18 Olympic medals in the 1950s and ’60s. She held the world record for the Olympic athlete with the most medals until Phelps beat her last month. Phelps is following Angelina Jolie, Sean Connery, Francis Ford Coppola, Muhammad Ali and many others that have starred with the iconic LV-monogrammed bag and photographed by Annie Leibovitz.

LOUIS VUITTON F/W12 LOOKBOOK

After the awful S/S 12 'red and blue' collection, LV finally presents a decent (actually pretty cool) lookbook for the upcoming F/W 12 season.

The second collection by Kim Jones for Louis Vuitton is cosmopolitan and modern, featuring beautiful looks and Vuitton’s popular bags, starring Alexander Johansson and Ryan Taylor.

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LOUIS VUITTON PRE-FALL 2012!

We have this say in Romanian: 'The thrifty man builds his cart in winter, and his sledge in summer.'

Or something like that..Maybe it exists in other languages too, but I doubt so. People nowadays buy stuff!

So, combining the two theories, I came to the following LV conclusion: before the harsh winter arrives 

(hopefully it will find me in Rio, and the entire equation changes) anyway, 'back to our sheep' 

(another funny Ro say) my point was: this summer I need to buy my sledge, I mean coat, sheepskin LV coat 

(What a weird post, wtf! Sorry, must be the several iced coffees I drink daily + the 500 different Olympic 

games I watch everyday) Tadaaam! Enjoy this summerish Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall 2012 Collection!

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"LOUIS VUITTON - MARC JACOBS" EXHIBITION

"Louis Vuitton - Marc Jacobs" Exhibition at Les Arts Décoratifs Museum, Paris.

Until September 16th, 2012.