Louis Vuitton’s cruise into Barcelona, preps for next America’s Cup

Louis Vuitton sauntered into Barcelona with a suitably eclectic Catalan cruise collection by Nicolas Ghèsquiere, staged Thursday evening amid the splendor of the Parque Güell, even as eco protestors blocked guests arriving at the show. 

While the brand’s patron, LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault – who sat front row beside actress Léa Seydoux, also cruised into the city, mooring his giant 101-meter superyacht ‘Symphony’ in the main port.
 
Blending elements of modernism, Art Nouveau, Mediterranean gothic and even Velásquez, Ghèsquiere mingled together a whole range of inspirations into a dramatic collection, and show.

The first dozen models all appearing in bolero riding hats worn at a jaunty angle, and voluminous contoured coats, curvy dresses or bombers jackets. Opening with a sensational beige raffia cape dress with pockets finished with white shawl collar; worn with patent leather ankle boots with strap and sporty turquoise insect shades.
 
Setting the scene for a mash-up of techy sports ideas like and gothic shapes. Ideal for the location, the storied Parque Güell, a beautiful garden that is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, created by Catalonia’s legendary architect Antoni Gaudi. The latest Ghesquière collection for Vuitton held in an architecturally famous location. Previous sites have included the Bob & Dolores Hope Estate by John Lautner in Palm Springs; the MAC by Oscar Niemeyer in Brazil; Fondation Maeght by Josep Lluís Sert in Saint-Paul-de-Vence; and Eero Saarinen TWA Terminal in JFK Airport.
 
For evening, Nicolas played with lace mantilla cocktails but very much on his own terms – cutting them into frou frou mini dresses or extending them to the floor when paired with fringe tuxedos.
 
As a kid, Ghesquière visited Spain with his family, and those early influences were apparent in many looks. A middle section blended the spiritual with the seductive – black-and-white above-the-knee nuns’ cassocks made with huge sleeves and destined for profane posh punk rockers. Cistercian, Servants of Mary chic.
 
Before he went full on into overdrive with a stupendous quartet in taffeta, scrunched up like cloaks for the coronation of the virgin, but again cut short and sassy. 
 
“All the clichés of Spain and lots more,” commented Ghesquière, whose highly individualistic vision earned him a two-minute round of applause when he took an extended bow.

 
This jaunt to Barcelona and collection also underlined how much the America’s Cup means to Vuitton. The house is the lead sponsor of the next edition of the great yachting race, which starts on August 29 in Barcelona.
 
“The America’s Cup is the greatest yachting competition, bar none. And Vuitton is the greatest luxury fashion brand around. So, they are a natural fit,” explained Grant Dalton, the CEO of Team New Zealand, the current America’s Cup holder, who sat front row.
 
Back in 1983, when Henry Racamier was still Vuitton CEO and luxury support for sport still pretty rare, the house began sponsoring the Louis Vuitton Cup – the competition to find the challengers to face the defending yacht club in the America’s Cup final.
 
That year, when the final was raced off Newport, Rhode Island, went down in history when Australia II ended the longest winning run in sporting history – 132 years – by out-racing the New York Yacht Club. Dennis Conner, the losing American skipper, famously compared the defeat as “like losing the Panama Canal.”
 
However, Vuitton took a break in 2011, the most recent edition, when the Royal New Zealand Yacht Club retained the trophy in Auckland. Now it has come roaring back. Sponsoring the Louis Vuitton Cup and adding its name to the final series, which is now officially entitled Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.
 
“I sense the hand of Bernard Arnault in all this. Clearly, he decided if I am going to sponsor the America’s Cup, we may as well get Louis Vuitton’s name on the whole competition,” noted the 66-year-old, no-nonsense Dalton, who has raced all around the world seven times.
 
Increasingly, the America’s Cup is a design competition. A decade ago, crews were up to 17 members, and yacht designers half that number. This year, teams will number eight sailors, while some challengers like Allinghi of Switzerland have upwards of 40 designers. Boosted by technological support from Red Bull, and its Formula One franchise.
 
All making the America’s Cup an ideal company for Vuitton and Ghesquière, whose whole aesthetic is about blending active sport with experimental couture.
 
May the races begin.