For his first show in China, Shanghai, Nicolas Ghesquière renewed his signatures with a hyperreal twist – a collaboration with contemporary Chinese artist Sun Yitian. Her cartoonlike creations – poptastic penguins, dizzying ducks and ballooning bunnies (with LV fleur de lys for eyes) – animated cheeky miniskirts, A-line coats, leather goods, trunks, accessories and fragrances; making them coveted collectables. “The connection between paintings on a canvas and the viewer is somewhat static and silent, a form of observation with a certain distance. However, when my artworks are translated into clothing, bags, or perfumes, they become much closer to people, and this interaction is lively and unpredictable. It creates an equal relationship of use,” says Sun Yitian, of the creative partnership. Continuing to champion an unbridled freedom of tone and form, elsewhere Ghesquiere’s trademark touch conjured up a symphony of florals dancing across ruffled dresses, knee-scraping shorts, tendrilled skirts, and baggy sourel trousers. In this exuberant collection, accessories become centric, a nod to LOUIS VUITTON’s illustrious history. The Petite Malle, the Twist, the OnTheGo, the Diane, the Loop, the Side Trunk, the Atlantis, the Noé, the Cannes, and the Camera Box — as well as the Capucines and the Dauphine — open new doors and return in flexible versions. Meanwhile, the Slim Trunk becomes a new staple, continuing the story. Here, classicism marries the contemporary, contrast becomes the new harmony. Meanwhile, Nicolas Ghesquière continues to do what he does best: review, revamp, and revitalise his own winning formula.

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