Nicolas Ghesquière Embraces Sultry Summer Drama for Louis Vuitton Cruise 2025

Opening the show, models strode down the runway in the historic halls of one of Barcelona's most famous architectural landmarks—Park Guell—clad in wide-brim hats, sizeable reflective shield sunglasses, and a series of beige-toned suited looks. The collection was contained to a mostly neutral color palette, with varying shades of white, black, and brown tying the line together, although it never failed to keep audience members on the edge of their seats as sultry gothic-adjacent looks were presented in conjunction with classically chic A-line blazer dresses. 

Oversized silhouettes ruled the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2025 runway, as seen in a series of massive suit jackets and vintage-inspired ballooning bubble skirts. Ghesquière also drew from historically trendy looks, as blazers with pointed, structured collars and tops with puffed-out shoulders reminiscent of the '80s appeared in full force. '70s-style fringe and ruffles appeared in numerous pieces, adding volume and lively energy to looks that dazzled viewers as models sauntered past. 

The clothing on the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2025 runway wasn't the only thing that proved provocative. Footwear in the form of pointed chrome-finished heeled boots, polished patent leather heels, free-flowing fringed ankle boots, and slouchy knee-high boots added additional elements of dizzying visual intrigue. 

Toying with traditional seasonal styles, Ghesquière included looks like brushed fur overcoats and sweeping leather jackets alongside summertime classics like polka-dotted dresses and structured strapless tops. 

Sultry, sensual looks were in abundance, present in every element of the collection from sleek black jumpsuits complete with plunging v-necks to deep berry lips and smudgy, rocker-style eyeliner. In line with the darker energy of the collection, Ghesquière adopted the naked dressing trend rocking red carpets and runways alike in recent seasons, as seen in a series of sheer-panelled, floor-length dresses that are already sure to be a favorite among the most daring of celebrities come the next awards show season. On the runway, these lightweight, draped dress styles shifted into a series of airy, romantic chiffon-laden looks like flowing floral skirts and flirty white ruffled minidresses that exuded contrasting emotion to the series of more gothic-inspired styles. 

The French Maison appeared as the latest luxury house to bid adieu to the quiet luxury trend, as drama typically reserved for the most abstract designers and couture season was front and center in the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2025 collection. Through playfully oversized silhouettes, dynamic materials, evocative contrast between color, and shimmery fabrics, garments grabbed the attention of the audience and refused to let go, signaling a shift in design philosophy that has slowly but surely rocked the industry.