Louis Vuitton has launched its 2024 Cruise campaign, transporting us to the picturesque shores of Italy’s Isola Bella. The campaign stars British actress Emma Laird (A Haunting Of Venice) — a new addition to the brand’s roster of famous faces, following in the footsteps of stars like Sophie Turner and Phoebe Dynevor.
Lensed by photographer Jamie Hakesworth, the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2024 campaign showcases its floaty and feminine styles alongside the the sundrenched shores and baroque architecture of Isola Bella.
Laird carts her GO-14 bag across the island’s picturesque sites, alongside models Mica Arganaraz, Valentina Castro, Ida Heiner and Chu Wong.
The campaign evokes a sense of fantasy and mystery inherent in the mythology of Isola Bella. The magical and unique island belonged to the Borromeo family for 500 years, who built the grand palazzo upon its shores. The scenery features a palace rising from the isle, surrounded by emerald foliage of the exquisite gardens.
The unique setting provided the backdrop to the Maison’s Cruise show in May of this year with its rousing, dreamy stylistic interpretations inspired by aquatic tales.
For those fortunate enough to attend the Louis Vuitton Cruise runway shows, travelling with Nicolas Ghesquière on his global cruise collection unveilings has become the ultimate fashion voyage. Whether you’re sitting front row in person, or watching from the comfort of your home, it’s escapism at its most luxurious.
The aquatic themed Cruise Collection was set to be unveiled in the picturesque, terraced gardens of Isola Bella with 1000 VIP guests, including celebrities such as Cate Blanchett, Samara Weaving, Emma Stone, Phoebe Dynevor, Oprah, Alicia Vikander, Gemma Chan and Jennifer Connelly, arriving by boat to sit alfresco and view the collection by the sea. Unfortunately, wild weather saw the team at Louis Vuitton swiftly relocate the runway within the waterproof walls of Isola Bella.
marie claire editor, Nicky Briger, was in attendance and reports, “Relentless rain couldn’t dampen the unveiling of Louis Vuitton’s Cruise Collection on Italy’s magnificent Lake Maggiore. The show was supposed to be staged among the terraced gardens of Isola Bella, but Mother Nature had other plans. Organisers quickly shifted hundreds of A-list guests, inside the frescoed walls of the island’s 17th century palace for Nicholas Ghesquière’s sea-inspired collection.”
It’s a big moment for mermaids, and this collection will ensure the sirens of the sea remain at the forefront of style with these magical pieces. Had the show gone to plan, Ghesquière explained: “We started with the idea that the girls were coming from the water, like mermaids of the lake, and they’re transforming to something else.”
Ironically, pieces in neoprene scuba gear that would’ve withstood the weather were featured with water droplet embellishments and collars inspired by fins. Models wore King Triton crowns and feathered headpieces. Mermaid scale sequin skirts were paired with neoprene tanks and naval jackets, perhaps an ode to a siren and her sailor prey.
Fluttering gowns in pastel hues finished the show, with their structured swinging hems and pouf sleeves, reminiscent of Ariel’s seriously chic sisters and sea creatures. The collection, with its high drama take on what lies beneath the sea, put any talk of a return to normcore to rest. Ghesquière’s underwater fantasy world is enough to make Ariel keep her fins.
