Drive, Skate, Vote: Vuitton Closes Paris Fashion Week with Slogans

Louis Vuitton showed off its latest collection on the last day of Paris Fashion Week. (Getty Images)
Louis Vuitton showed off its latest collection on the last day of Paris Fashion Week. (Getty Images)
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Drive, Skate, Vote: Vuitton Closes Paris Fashion Week with Slogans

Louis Vuitton showed off its latest collection on the last day of Paris Fashion Week. (Getty Images)
Louis Vuitton showed off its latest collection on the last day of Paris Fashion Week. (Getty Images)

French luxury label Louis Vuitton on Tuesday showed off its latest collection on the last day of Paris Fashion Week, featuring slogans splashed onto tops and dresses in pop colors - and which included a sweater stating “Vote”.

The look was the first one to cross the runway - housed inside a spectacular Art Deco building in Paris - and was followed by others like “Skate” or “Bounce”, on outfits with a skater-vibe.

The brand, owned by luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, provided no specific context for the slogans, though the show comes weeks before the US presidential election.

Vuitton’s womenswear designer Nicolas Ghesquiere said in show notes that the collection was focused on the increasingly fluid boundaries between genders, with some oversized T-shirt styles for instance which could be masculine or feminine.

“On some styles, prints are made up of words that are like positive injunctions,” Ghesquiere added. “I wanted to transliterate an energetic, vigorous, daring collection.”

Vuitton held the socially distanced show - one of only a handful of physical catwalk events in Paris this season due to the coronavirus pandemic - inside La Samaritaine, a recently renovated 150-year-old department store owned by LVMH.

It had been due to re-open around April but the launch was postponed after the pandemic hit, and the building is still not open to the public.

Models more oversized trench coats over some looks, paired with clog-style shoes, while other styles echoed a futuristic vibe often channeled by Ghesquiere, including crop tops with elaborate sleeves and shiny, silver jumpsuits.

Vuitton, which is known for the handbags that drive revenues at the brand, showcased some in bright green, and others with chunky chains as straps.



Gucci Dreams of Magical Sunsets at Milan Fashion Week

 A model presents a creation from the Gucci Spring/Summer 2025 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 20, 2024. (Reuters)
A model presents a creation from the Gucci Spring/Summer 2025 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 20, 2024. (Reuters)
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Gucci Dreams of Magical Sunsets at Milan Fashion Week

 A model presents a creation from the Gucci Spring/Summer 2025 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 20, 2024. (Reuters)
A model presents a creation from the Gucci Spring/Summer 2025 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 20, 2024. (Reuters)

Gucci sought to recreate the magic of summer sunsets at Milan Fashion Week on Friday with a colorful line that at times nodded to the 1960s.

Creative director Sabato De Sarno began the show for his spring/summer 2025 collection, called “Casual grandeur”, with a tailored zipped jacket and floor-length trousers slit at the front bottom, opening up over sneakers.

Models wore draped or sleeveless dresses in various colors adorned with golden buckles as well as see-through lace frocks.

There were looks that mirrored 1960s styles with short A-line skirts, structured jackets and shorts. Long coats were worn over tank tops and long denim trousers. Some coats were adorned with sparkling fringes.

Models walked down a red catwalk with lighting ranging from white to warmer shades, nodding to the "moment the sun dives into the sea at the end of an August day", De Sarno said in show notes.

“It’s the moment we find ourselves. This collection is a tribute to those moments, and an invitation to stop, seek your own moment," he said, as the show drew Oscar winner Jessica Chastain and Italian tennis star and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner among celebrity guests.

Accessories included large summer hats, an array of handbags and footwear that varied from loafers and boots to platforms with transparent heels.

De Sarno's color palette included grey, brown, different shades of green, white, orange and red.

De Sarno, who presented his first Gucci show a year ago, has been resetting the Italian luxury brand with his sleek, pared-back creations since taking over from former designer Alessandro Michele, known for his eclectic styles.

“A year later, this collection shows an accomplished journey of construction,” De Sarno said.

Gucci is the largest brand at Kering where it accounts for half of the French luxury group’s sales.

In July, Kering reported a bigger-than-expected drop in second-quarter sales and forecast a weak second half, as the group works to re-energize Gucci while facing subdued demand from Chinese shoppers.