Louis Vuitton Braves Rain on Its Italian Island Paradise

Bad weather was likely not top of mind when the storied luxury label chose Isola Bella as the venue for its Cruise 2024 collection. GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP
Bad weather was likely not top of mind when the storied luxury label chose Isola Bella as the venue for its Cruise 2024 collection. GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP
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Louis Vuitton Braves Rain on Its Italian Island Paradise

Bad weather was likely not top of mind when the storied luxury label chose Isola Bella as the venue for its Cruise 2024 collection. GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP
Bad weather was likely not top of mind when the storied luxury label chose Isola Bella as the venue for its Cruise 2024 collection. GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

Louis Vuitton valiantly battled pounding rain on an Italian island paradise while presenting its cruise collection Wednesday night, the weather sending celebrity guests underneath umbrellas and dampening a hairdo or two.

But when you're the flagship brand within the powerhouse LVMH portfolio, with a guest list that includes Catherine Deneuve, Cate Blanchett and Emma Stone, what's a little rain?

Bad weather was likely not top of mind when the storied luxury label led by Nicolas Ghesquiere chose the tiny Isola Bella, a jewel of an island in the azure waters of Lake Maggiore, as an appropriately jaw-dropping venue for its Cruise 2024 collection, AFP said.

But the rain arrived nonetheless, forcing the show originally planned for the island's formal terraced gardens to take place within the baroque Palazzo Borromeo, still owned by the family of the same name whose noble ancestry dates to the 13th century.

"It's the one thing Nicolas can't control, is the weather," the editor-in-chief of Vogue Thailand, Ford Laosuksri, told AFP after the show, as guests lingered to sip bubbly while hoping (in vain) for the rain to stop.

Laosuksri was wearing a crocheted floral top and sandals -- an endearing if not foolhardy gesture amid the steady rain.

"I didn't want to ruin my velvet shoes," he confided.

Ghesquiere, Louis Vuitton's artistic director since 2013, sent models through the ornate, high-ceilinged rooms of the 17th-century palazzo in eclectic, futuristic creations for which he is celebrated.

Some looks recalled scuba gear adorned with avant garde ruffling, while others felt like fencers' uniforms, protective with thick quilting over the chest.

Fabric was cinched tight like an accordion at the bodice of a sleeveless dress with color blocks in royal blue and yellow gold, imparting texture and movement, while a shiny black dress came with a drawstring neckline that called to mind a popular handbag by the brand.

Sweaters became more airy with a translucent stripe at the midriff, while three chiffon gowns cut on the bias -- in dusty pink, sea green and baby blue -- sported exaggerated puffy sleeves worthy of the Edwardian age.

"It was beautiful, it was flowy but still powerful," said Philippine actress Heart Evangelista.

From fishing to fashion

Louis Vuitton's event was the first-ever fashion show allowed on Isola Bella, a former fishing village transformed by the Borromeos into a sumptuous paradise fit for royalty.

Kings, queens and emperors have been guests at Palazzo Borromeo over the years, including Queen Victoria, Napoleon and Josephine, and even Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1985.

On Wednesday celebrities and influencers from around the world -- including US actress Jennifer Connelly and Felix from K-Pop's Stray Kids -- descended on the island.

Trying not to slip, guests took cover under the transparent umbrellas provided by the brand before escaping into the palazzo.

Following the show, some guests stood on benches and posed for pictures under the watchful gaze of centuries of Borromeo elders whose portraits line the walls.

Cruise collections are designed to offer warm-weather wardrobes for jet-setters lucky enough to escape to sunny locales during the drab winter months. In recent years, they have become destination events, with brands choosing more and more exotic spots to backdrop their luxury looks.

Louis Vuitton's show comes on the heels of Dior's, which showed a Frida Kahlo-inspired cruise collection in Mexico City Saturday, and Chanel's earlier this month at Hollywood's Paramount Studios.



Saudi 100 Brands Program Announces Winner of 'Saudi Heritage Revival’ Competition

The competition was launched in July by the Saudi 100 Brands Program -- an initiative of the Saudi Fashion Commission
The competition was launched in July by the Saudi 100 Brands Program -- an initiative of the Saudi Fashion Commission
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Saudi 100 Brands Program Announces Winner of 'Saudi Heritage Revival’ Competition

The competition was launched in July by the Saudi 100 Brands Program -- an initiative of the Saudi Fashion Commission
The competition was launched in July by the Saudi 100 Brands Program -- an initiative of the Saudi Fashion Commission

The "Saudi Heritage Revival" competition winner was announced Wednesday at the Creative Residence under the Fashion Commission FCR headquarters at JAX District, in the presence of the jury and competition participants.

The competition was launched in July by the Saudi 100 Brands Program -- an initiative of the Saudi Fashion Commission -- with the aim of encouraging sustainability within the field of fashion design and the Saudi fashion industry by highlighting the cultural and national heritage.

Specifically, it provided an opportunity for participants to submit unique fashion designs using a group of classic Swarovski crystals while integrating the features and elements of heritage and design art with Saudi culture.
The stages of the competition included allocating a virtual introductory meeting for participants about the objectives and requirements of the competition on August 26 and guidance workshops with Swarovski experts in Riyadh on September 2-4, in addition to individual virtual sessions to follow up on the work of participants. The participants' outputs were subject to arbitration by the jury, and the winner was chosen on September 25 at the Creative Residence under the Fashion Commission FCR headquarters. The winning designer receives a training opportunity at the headquarters of Dar Al-Hanouf Fashion in Jeddah, while the top five designers get to participate in an international academic competition by Swarovski called “Interpretation of the Swarovski SS 2025 Inspiration Theme Street Art in a Commercial Ready to Wear Outfit.”
The winner was Hebah Baatiyyah and the top five designers were Hebah Baatiyyah, Alanood Aljabeer, Lama AlHabashi, Rawan Alyami and Reem Bashawri.