Just like that, we have found ourselves back at one of the most joyful weeks in the year; Cruise week, as we have affectionately coined it here at RUSSH HQ. More than just fleeting moments and reminders of Mediterranean vacations gone by (and to come); Cruise has always offered a form of escapism. An experience and sentiment we have yearned desperately for in recent times. While naturally, our minds turn to white sand and iridescent waters, Cruise 22 for Louis Vuitton presents us with a new longing for faraway places.

As is customary in the world of creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, nothing is ever what you except – a sentiment that remains true for Cruise 22. Marking only his second-ever cruise collection without a destination show, Ghesquière looked to the Axe Majeur; a sculpture park outside of Paris conceived by the late Israeli environmental artist Dani Karavan. A location that matched the collection in grandeur, the park speaks to the designer's ongoing fascination with sci-fi and outer space. A design note that has become synonymous with Ghesquière's interpretation of escapism.

 

An unorthodox approach, the designer took Louis Vuitton Cruise 22 to the edge of the atmosphere; merging nature, space and time to create a more structured and vibrant display bringing a militaristic feel to vacation wear. Parachute pleats, padded quilting reminiscent of spacesuits for the everyday and boots fit for the ultimate space cowboy. Prints also reign supreme; images of a basketball court and a roadside motel, among other settings placed within an alien landscape and sprawled across dresses in vibrant hues.

 

 

"A collection of proud, positive looks that advance straight ahead, serenely. They are the picture of harmony in an environment that is so close and yet so far away, borderless and open to adventure," the luxury House shares in the show notes.

Louis Vuitton Cruise 22 is a welcome reminder that life's most valuable passport is creation. A freedom that is otherworldly.