Nicolas Ghesquière took his audience on a captivating voyage for Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2025 show, stepping away from the traditional venue and landing at L’Étoile du Nord—an evocative location adjacent to Gare du Nord, once the hub of a historic French train company. The decision to host the runway show in this recently renovated train station set the tone for a collection that embraced movement, transition, and emotional connection.
The show opened not in the hallowed halls of the Louvre, but in a space that felt charged with stories—of arrivals and departures, reunions and goodbyes. Ghesquière built his vision around the idea of the train station as a communal platform—where strangers become characters in each other’s memories, even if just for a fleeting moment. The cinematic theme extended into the design process, with Ghesquière and his studio exchanging favorite train-related films, from Casablanca and 2046 to Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. These inspirations subtly filtered into the collection’s diverse moods and silhouettes.
Rather than literal costume references, the runway was filled with “characters”—travelers of all kinds. There were city-bound commuters clad in functional trenches and sporty jackets, adventurous souls donning gorp-core aesthetics with pannier bags and oversized blanket coats, and glamorous voyagers dressed in hand-painted velvet destined for a ride on the Orient Express. One standout moment included a model channeling a train conductor in a jumpsuit complete with a soft, floppy tie—a whimsical nod to Ghesquière’s childhood memory of the TGV launch.
The soundtrack featured Kraftwerk’s iconic Trans-Europe Express, setting an electric rhythm for the show. A unique collaboration with the German electronic pioneers added a nostalgic yet modern pulse, with select looks incorporating graphics and motifs inspired by the band’s album art.
True to Ghesquière’s design language, the collection merged contrasts with ease. Structured silhouettes brushed shoulders with fluid ruffles, while utilitarian outerwear met romantic slip dresses. Crystal-encrusted tops had the ease of T-shirts, and officer-style jackets were softened with washed cotton and subtle tonal shifts.
Accessories, always a centerpiece of the Louis Vuitton universe, took on playful and functional forms. Guitar-shaped trunks, floral-embellished bags, and classic duffels reinforced the maison’s heritage of luxury travel. Footwear balanced practicality and drama—from slouchy, fur-lined boots to more sculptural high-heeled styles.
The color palette oscillated between earthy neutrals and rich seasonal tones—plaid emerged as a dominant print, layered across coats and dresses in deep reds, greens, and monochromes. Shimmering metallics and pinstripes punctuated the lineup, injecting a sense of modern glamour into the collection’s nostalgic narrative.
The finale abandoned tradition as models ascended to balconies above the venue, overlooking the guests. As pre-recorded scenes of passersby played on the windows, the message was clear: fashion, like travel, is about collective experience and connection. “There’s no separation,” Ghesquière remarked. “We’re all together.” In a season often marked by spectacle, Ghesquière grounded his Louis Vuitton presentation in emotion and shared moments. With Fall/Winter 2025, he reminded us that fashion is more than appearance—it’s about the stories we carry and the journeys that shape us.
