Louis Vuitton’s pre-fall 2024 Women’s Voyager Show in Shanghai had many memorable attendees and fashion moments. Hill Choi Lee reports
Nicolas Ghesquière, the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s Women’s Collection, has brought together an ensemble that fuels one’s wanderlust. After opening its first store in China some 30 years ago, Louis Vuitton deepens this long-term connection by having its pre-fall 2024 Women’s Voyager Show in Shanghai. From ruffled skirts and bold shoulders to bold prints and crisp lines, each piece on the runway exudes liberation and freedom for movement – a clear celebration of Louis Vuitton’s ethos of travel.
In its teaser promo, Louis Vuitton pictured a series of artistic balloons looming and floating amid Shanghai’s skyscrapers. These inflatables are meant to denote a voyaging spirit yet with an acutely playful undertone to the April 18 show – a prelude to what we expect to see of this new 2024 pre-fall collection by one of the most celebrated fashion brands in the world.
True to its promotional vision, Louis Vuitton did what it has always done well, presenting the art of travel and encapsulating it in this new collection. Its choice to have it held in Shanghai is symbolic of its decades-long relationship with China, going back to 1992 when it opened its first store in the Palace Hotel in Beijing – an icon of Chinese stature in itself.
With some of the world’s biggest stars in attendance, it shows the palpable expectancy for Nicolas Ghesquière’s work. Hollywood actors like Cate Blanchett, Chloë Grace Moretz, Regina King, Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany, as well as Taiwanese star Nana Ou-Yang and South Korean actress Hoyeon Jung were some of the A-list attendees. The latter was seen seated between Moretz and Hong Kong rapper Jackson Wang. Among the guests, Chinese actress Gina Jin Chen, Zhou Dongyu and Chinese singer and dancer Victoria Song Qian all drew excitable attention with their appearances.
However, the main spectacle remains Louis Vuitton’s collection du jour. It brought vibrant colours, cutesy prints and a gamut of textures making the runway a celebration of the maison’s ethos of travel come to life. We also notice the deliberate incorporation of belts and straps which adds to the silhouette of many of the outfits in the lineup. Once you get used to the dreamy pop of colours, Ghesquière serves monochrome pieces that punch with power, showing off his prowess in creating cohesion of different schools of styles into one show.
#legend has curated a few standout looks from the runway. Check them out below.
Also see: Dolce & Gabbana exhibition features one-of-a-kind creations
