Sandra‘s Closet

Louis Vuitton will showcase its Cruise 2025 fashion show in Barcelona on the 23rd of May 2024, one of its multiple collaborative actions with the Catalan capital. These actions notably involve the organisation of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Barcelona, including the Louis Vuitton Cup qualifying session, to begin in summer 2024.

Steeped in tradition and innovation – with the «Art of Travel» at its core – Louis Vuitton has staged shows across the globe at world-renowned locations and landmarks of architectural significance, paying homage to art and local culture. Previously, the Maison has held its Cruise shows at venues including John Lautner’s Bob & Dolores Hope Estate in Palm Springs, Oscar Niemeyer’s Contemporary Art Museum in Niterói, I.M. Pei’s Miho Museum near Kyoto, the Salk Institute in California, and Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore among others.

The upcoming Cruise Fashion Show will take place in a location in Barcelona to be revealed at a later date.

Louis Vuitton’s store on Paseo de Gracia in Barcelona

The Maison’s latest stop in the Catalan capital brings guests and viewers to a major cultural centre and tourist destination. Nestled on the border of the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona is undoubtedly one of the most vibrant and dynamic destinations in Europe.

«It is an immense pleasure to collaborate with the city of Barcelona sharing common values with Louis Vuitton that are deeply anchored into a remarkable heritage and the passion for creativity. The upcoming Cruise fashion show, encapsulating Women’s Artistic Director Nicolas Ghesquière’s vision for the collection, as well as the upcoming Louis Vuitton Cup and the 37th America’s Cup will undoubtfully capture Louis Vuitton’s long-standing relationship with Barcelona and the Catalan region in the most ultimate way.» says Pietro Beccari, Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton.

Louis Vuitton Cruise 2023 Collection at the Salk Institute

Along with the show, Louis Vuitton will also celebrate the LV Cup and the 37th edition of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Barcelona with multiple events such as hospitality, an exhibition, and cultural activations with guests from around the world. Additionally, Louis Vuitton will launch its much-anticipated City Guide for Barcelona alongside a cultural pop-up kiosk and event. Barcelona and Louis Vuitton are also working on educational programmes to support creativity and design in the city. Louis Vuitton’s relationship with Barcelona dates back from the beginning of the 20th century as the Maison played an active role at the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition, bringing together industry, art, and innovation.

For its third Cruise collection presentation, Louis Vuitton traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2017.

Georges Vuitton (Louis Vuitton’s son) was a member of the jury and was also awarded a grand prize for his toiletry cases. Louis Vuitton opened its first store in Spain in the city of Barcelona in 1987 and now has two stores in the Catalan capital. Louis Vuitton’s footprint extends to the Catalonia region, well-known for its great leather savoir-faire tradition, where the Maison opened its first workshop in 1990 and now operates six leather goods workshops in Catalunya employing over 1800 people.

I am very excited for this show.

LoL, Sandra

A look from Louis Vuitton’s Cruise 2024 show at Isola Bella.

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Here comes another must-have from the House of Louis Vuitton. For his first collection for the Maison, Pharrell Williams elevates a daily accessory to give lunchtime a fancy makeover. The S/S 2024 collection for men (on the runway were also female models) has landed in boutiques worldwide, and this is by far one of the most attention-grabbing pieces.

You are all familiar with the brown paper sack. However, in the Vuitton case, it is made from supple cowhide leather in exactly the same color as the brand’s iconic shopping bags. It features the same «Louis Vuitton» and «Maison Fondée En 1854» lettering found on the bags. Inside there’s a zipped pocket and a double flat pocket to keep things organized.

The price tag is £2460. This might seem a lot, but if you can get your hands on it, it’s worth the price tag as it value will only rise being a true collector’s item.
For more information on the LOUIS VUITTON sandwich bag, click here please.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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A dynamic design that exudes movement and agility, the Rush is the latest Louis Vuitton sneaker from Nicolas Ghesquière. Revealed as part of the Cruise collection that took place in Isola Bella, the LV Rush is a hybrid style that draws from vintage boxing boots and contemporary trail shoes.

The LV Rush is proposed as a sneaker boot that extends above the ankle as well as two sneakers – a higher version punctuated with bold red and a more monochromatic sneaker in white or black. With a bold upper in suede with rubberised and classic calf leather, the entire range is optimised for daily wear thanks to its lightweight inner construction and highly flexible sole. A metallic LV circle signals an elevated flourish in keeping with Louis Vuitton. The trail influence plays out on the main sneaker through details such as the lace stopper.

The graphic wave motif that undulates across the shoe contributes to its unique appearance, which corresponds to the collection’s overall inspiration: the modern mermaids of Lake Maggiore surrounding Isola Bella. Converging 18th-century rocaille ornamentation with an active attitude, the LV Rush is a standout sneaker that speaks to the Ghesquière’s unmatched vision.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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The Louis Vuitton initials become the emblem of a new culture of LVERS: a state of mind founded in warmth, wellbeing, and welcome-ness.

Employed in graphics and embellishments, the marque represents a culture of a diverse global community connected by a like-minded appreciation for the core values of the Maison: the discernment, the savoir-faire, and the curation of its iconographic elements. The sentiment fuels an attention to detail from the macro level of the techniques and materials of garments and accessories to the micro level of buttons, rivets and zips; each component treated with the same amount of love.

The LVERS emblem likewise nods at the slogan of Pharrell Williams’ home state: «Virginia is for lovers.» Revived from the archives, a Marque L. Vuitton Déposée logo appears throughout the collection.

The collection will be in store starting January 4th.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Gentlemen, may I have your attention. This is a fashion must: The Damier got reinterpeted by Pharrell Williams for S/S 2024 and it is f…g hot!

DAMOFLAGE / Damier meets camo
Damoflage splices the heritage Damier pattern of Louis Vuitton with camouflage in a reflection of two diverse domains of style, in simultaneous tribute to Pharrell Williams’ long-time friends in Paris.

Employed in three hues across accessories, workwear, indigo denim, pyjama silhouettes, in the intarsia of knitwear and furs, and in the jacquard of tailoring, the pattern morphs the signifier of Louis Vuitton with a defining factor in the personal style lexicon of Pharrell Williams. The outdoor sensibility of camouflage is echoed in colourised landscape motifs featured in prints and jacquards across blanket coats, blousons, pyjamas and shirting, and in coats and bags laser-cut all-over in the Louis Vuitton flower pattern.

DAMIER / Colours starting with yellow
An expression of synaesthesia, primary colours invigorate Louis Vuitton’s classic Damier chessboard graphic.
A foundational element in Pharrell Williams’ early familiarisation with the Maison, the Damier is reimagined in a series of new adaptations. An 8-bit Atari Damier motif created by the American pixel artist ET Artist digitalises the pattern.

Coloured Damier expressions appear in tailoring, pyjamas and denim. The grain of the Damier leather is interpreted in stitch-like 3-D pigment print in outerwear and tailoring. A pied de poule take on the graphic nods at the heritage men’s wardrobe, while a hand-embroidered Damier pearl decoration adorns tailoring, sportswear and workwear.

The collection will be in store starting January 4th.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Theatrical and striking, Louis Vuitton’s XXL zippers put a fun twist on contemporary pieces. I wore this ensemble for tea time at Claridge’s Hotel in London where the Christmas tree was the perfect backdrop for this outfit.

My look: XXL Zip leather insert coat, XXL Zip tight fitting dress, and Petite Malle H27 bag, all by Louis Vuitton, studded Tan-Go platform pumps by Valentino,  gold-tone, enamel and faux pearl clip earrings, both by Saint Laurent, button-embellished metallic jacquard-knit cardigan by Balmain, and pearl necklace by CHANEL.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Felicia Sewerinsson @feliciasewerinsson
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My apartment in London is just across from one of my favorite hotels in the city, the Claridge’s Hotel. Each year, the hotel collaborates with a fashion house to decorate their Christmas Tree. This year’s installation by Louis Vuitton brings together two illustrious names who have long celebrated the Art of Travel, and crossed paths throughout their respective histories after both being founded in 1854.

This magnificent sculptural creation is immersed within two large open, emblematic wardrobe trunks towering on top of each other at the height of 5.2 metres. Each signature trunk is adorned with Claridge’s travel stickers of yesteryear and an oversized Louis Vuitton luggage tag.

Exuding a festive charm, the tree is composed of 15 vertically placed chrome trunks of varying heights that tower to create the silhouette of a traditional Christmas tree. Scattered atop the silver trunks and amidst the snowy landscape of the tree are 21 Louis Vuitton Vivienne mascots, all found within the hotel’s distinguished black and white marbled lobby.

The hotel’s Louis Vuitton trunk envelopes the magical Claridge’s Christmas Tree, just as the Maison’s iconic Malle Vestiaire or «Wardrobe Trunk», a hard-sided case created in 1875, was dedicated to transporting one’s most personal and precious effects.

«What an honour it is to welcome such a legendary house as Louis Vuitton to design our Claridge’s Christmas Tree this year. Christmas is the most magical time of year for us here at the hotel and we look forward to welcoming guests and seeing visitors immerse themselves in Louis Vuitton’s world.» – Claridge’s General Manager Paul Jackson

With my Louis Vuitton outfit, I couldn’t have blended in better … all details coming up shortly.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht 
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At this year’s Art Basel Miami Beach, Louis Vuitton will present a selection of the works that legendary Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry has produced during his wide-ranging and longstanding collaboration with the Maison. The specially designed booth in which the works will be presented embodies his trademark aesthetic and his constant experimentation with forms. Wood and cardboard models that have always been central to the architect’s design process find their form in the scenography, while five enveloping sail-like mesh structures nod to Gehry’s 2014 window displays for the Maison. Organized into four themes dear to Frank Gehry – Architecture and Form, Material Exploration, Animals, and his Twisted Box creation for «Celebrating Monogram»– the objects on display include handbags, trunks, perfume bottles, original artworks, preparatory sketches, and architectural models.

The stand will notably showcase the world premiere of Louis Vuitton x Frank Gehry, a limited-edition handbag collection. The collaborative capsule is based around three themes key to Frank Gehry’s long career – Architecture and Form, Material Exploration, and Animals – and features designs based upon the Maison’s iconic Capucines bags, the Twisted Box Trunk, and a remarkable Bear With Us Clutch, based upon Gehry’s 2014 Bear with Us sculpture.

Each bag exemplifies the unique combination of Frank Gehry’s design prowess and Louis Vuitton’s remarkable craft and savoir-faire, such as a Capucines Mini Blossom with its glass-like resin petals inspired by perfume bottles and hammered LV recalling the logo he created for the Fondation Louis Vuitton, the iconic building he designed in Paris; a Capucines MM Floating Fish with painstakingly worked leather marquetry inspired by the piscine lamps on display at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, and a Capucines MM Concrete Pockets whose innovative 3D cement-effect screen-printing gives the bag’s calfskin exterior the varied textures of Frank Gehry constructions.

Another highlight of the Maison’s Art Basel Miami Beach stand is the «A Tea Party for Louis» Trunk, the architect’s distinctive creation for the 200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries exhibition that celebrated Louis Vuitton’s 200th birthday. Based upon Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, his striking sculpture-trunk is a collection of eight arrestingly inventive figurines, each one resembling both a character in the book and the model of an imaginary Frank Gehry building. When brought together, the characters form what the architect describes as a tea party for the Maison’s founder.

Other Frank Gehry projects and artworks for Louis Vuitton on show include his Les Extraits perfume bottles and their unique stoppers handcrafted in Murano, Italy, and the Flaconnier Les Extraits designed to transport them, as well as a selection of sketches and models, such as preparatory drawings for his work on the «Celebrating Monogram» project and maquettes exploring his design for the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. These are accompanied by videos illustrating Gehry’s most famous collaborations with Louis Vuitton, and a painted portrait of the architect by French artist Jean-Philippe Delhomme.

Following its successful initial presence at Art Basel in Basel, Paris and Miami Beach in 2022, Louis Vuitton has become a global Associate Partner of the prestigious fair this year. This additional support further confirms the Maison’s close and committed relationship to the arts, one that began nearly a century ago when Gaston-Louis Vuitton, the founder’s grandson, began commissioning artists to collaborate with Louis Vuitton on advertisements and perfume bottles.

Since 1988, Louis Vuitton has continued this legacy by collaborating with some of the biggest names in modern art and design, including Sol LeWitt, James Rosenquist, Cesar, and Olafur Eliasson. It has curated exhibitions by artists such as Sophie Calle, Dan Flavin, Alberto Giacometti and Gerhard Richter in its Espaces Louis Vuitton, instore contemporary art spaces, and has also created innovative large-scale global art projects, such as the 2022 collaboration with Yayoi Kusama, and a capsule collection of bags, shoes, accessories, luggage, and fragrances. The Fondation Louis Vuitton, which opened in October 2014 in Paris, embodies the commitment of LVMH – and Louis Vuitton in particular – to corporate philanthropy in support of the arts and creative endeavours. The building, commissioned from Frank Gehry, is already recognised as an emblematic example of 21st-century architecture and has already welcomed millions of visitors from the entire world.

Louis Vuitton will be present at Art Basel Miami Beach in the West Lobby of the Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA. Public opening from 8th – 10th December 2023.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Fun times ahead! Back to London next week, I packed my beloved Fendi boots and this super practical cashmere coat that actually feels like a cardigan. The dress is from Valentino’s Black Tie F/W 2023 collection and one of my season favorites.

My look: Leisure belted cable-knit wool and cashmere-blend cardigan by Max Mara, wool and silk-blend halterneck mini dress by Valentino, logo-embellished leather biker boots by Fendi, grooved cabochon clip earrings by Saint Laurent, My LV chain pilot sunglasses by Louis Vuitton, and Kelly Cut clutch in black Swift leather with gold hardware by Hermès.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / @georgiashane
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The 2023 edition of Louis Vuitton’s Artycapucines Collection sees five leading contemporary artists – Billie Zangewa, Ewa Juszkiewic, Liza Lou, Tursic & Mille and Ziping Wang – bring their unique visions to the timeless and classic Capucines bag.

Billie Zangewa

Since the first collection in 2019, the Capucines bag – named after Rue Neuve-des-Capucines, the Parisian street where Louis Vuitton opened his first store in 1854 – has provided a perfect blank canvas for 29 contemporary artists to create an Artycapucines, including Alex Israel, Beatriz Milhazes, Daniel Buren, Henry Taylor, Paola Pivi, Park Seo-Bo, Tschabalala Seif, Ugo Rondinone, Urs Fischer, Vik Muniz and Zhao Zhao.

Ewa Juszkiewicz

Each special bag is further proof of how for over a century Louis Vuitton has continuously placed its innovative spirit and artisanal expertise at the service of artists and their creativity, from Louis Vuitton’s grandson Gaston-Louis commissioning work back in the 1920s to collaborations with legends such as Sol LeWitt, Yayoi Kusama, Richard Prince, and Takashi Murakami, to the opening of the Frank Gehry-designed Fondation Vuitton in 2014. The Artycapucines Collection reveals the quintessence of that commitment to artistic creativity, savoir-faire and craft, while affirming the Capucines as the ultimate expression of femininity.

Liza Lou

They five latest designs pay testament to the collection’s ability to unite the artists’ talent and invention with the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the Maison’s masterful artisans. All bags in the 2023 Artycapucines Collection, presented in specially designed boxes, will be available in limited editions of 200, with a worldwide reveal on 12th October 2023.

My favorite: Tursic & Mille

Since I am a big fan of these collaborations, I will spotlight each artist with small interviews in the next posts. Seeing the craftsmanship that goes into these pieces is truly captivating and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I do.

LoL, Sandra

Ziping Wang

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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