Transience by Ryan Molnar and Natalia Farnaus

photography by Ryan Molnar
styling by Natalia Farnaus
model Marie Kippe
makeup by Paloma Brytscha
hair by Masayuki Yuasa

shirt, dress, shorts, tights, shoes VALENTINO

shirt, dress VALENTINO

black longsleeve STYLIST’S OWN
black top with fur trimmings ABLONDI
brown skirt REPARTO
tights FALKE
shoes AEYDE

high-neck top, jacket, leggings & boots LOUIS VUITTON

shirt, belt, skirt JULIE KEGELS
shoes AEYDE

blouse LOUIS VUITTON
skirt JADE CROPPER
tights FALKE
shoes AEYDE

blouse LOUIS VUITTON
skirt JADE CROPPER
tights FALKE
shoes AEYDE

Louis Vuitton SS26: Pharrell Williams' India Is Rooted in Reality, Rendered in Reverence

With a hand-painted Snakes and Ladders set, coffee-hued denim, and cinematic embroidery, Pharrell Williams' SS26 collection for Louis Vuitton reimagines India not as spectacle, but as substance.

 

Image courtesy of : Louis Vuitton

 

text by Parrie Chhajed

In Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2026 menswear show, Pharrell Williams looks east, not for ornament, but for essence. India emerges not as a motif but as a moodboard: one defined by color, craft, and quiet charisma. Far from the reductive tropes often seen in luxury fashion’s attempts to β€˜globalize,’ Williams’ India is observational, tactile, and purposefully translated.

The show set, created in collaboration with celebrated architect Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai, was a towering hand-painted wooden interpretation of Snakes and Ladders, India’s traditional board game. It was an immediate statement: playful, rooted in storytelling, and intentionally handcraftedβ€”an homage to India’s material cultures rather than its monuments. A.R. Rahman’s β€œYaara Punjabi” set the sonic tone, blending seamlessly into the aesthetic narrative.

Williams and his team spent time in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Jaipur in the lead-up to the collection, absorbing India not through fashion history books but by walking through markets, workshops, and city streets. β€œYou won’t see any tunics or anything like that,” Williams said backstage. β€œWhat we were inspired by from India were the colors.” And indeed, the palette tells the story. Black is replaced with a regal purple-blue. Camel becomes a dusty beige. Denim appears in a never-seen-before β€œcoffee indigo,” inspired by Indian filter coffee and designed to fade gracefully into white thread, like sun-worn cotton.

The silhouettes, too, reflect this shiftβ€”from conventional tailoring to something more intuitive. Think relaxed pleated trousers worn with leather flip-flops, pajama-stripe jackets, robe coats, and flowing layers. There’s a sense of ease here that feels lived-in rather than styled, a softness that alludes to India’s informal luxuryβ€”the kind found in hand-pressed cotton, creased linen, and clothes shaped by climate.

A particularly poetic detail: Louis Vuitton resurrects the animal motifs originally created for The Darjeeling Limited (2007), revisiting its visual dialogue with India in a new context. Hand-embroidered zebras, palm trees, and cheetahs reappear across cashmere coats, safari jackets, and luggageβ€”a cinematic nod refined for the runway.

Yet this was no costume drama. The collection delivered on commercial pragmatism with buttery leather outerwear, clean-cut blazers, tonal shirts, and the Maison’s signature monogrammed baggage. Everyday wear was elevated with micro-beading, metallic threadwork, and even a shell suit fully woven from metal yarn. There’s experimentation, but it's controlled, audacious without being theatrical.

 
 

Pharrell’s respect for Indian craftsmanship is unmistakable. He describes his visits to printmaking studios and embroidery ateliers as the most meaningful moments of the journey. β€œWhat art and painting is to Paris, textiles and embroidery are to India,” he said. That respect materialized in garments enriched with lace, hand-placed stones, and artisanal techniques that elevate rather than overwhelm.

This wasn’t Williams’ first Indian reference. In 2018, he launched an Adidas collection inspired by Holi. But this time, the tone is mature and rooted in research. Less festival, more foundation. It’s an India experienced rather than imaginedβ€”drawn not just from its celebrations, but its subtleties.

 

Image coutsey of Louis Vuitton

 

β€œI’m personally a global citizen,” Williams said. β€œStorytelling provides context. And when you provide context, it makes it easier for people to understand what your true intentions are.”

And that’s perhaps the collection’s greatest strengthβ€”it doesn’t speak over India; it listens to it. In a time when global references can quickly slip into appropriation, Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton stands out for its clarity of intention and depth of execution. The result isn’t just a collection inspired by India; it’s one in conversation with it.

SS26 proves that India isn’t a detour in luxuryβ€”it’s a destination. And for Louis Vuitton, it’s a terrain rich enough not just to inspire, but to shape the future of menswear.

David Hockney: A Bigger Exhibition @ Louis Vuitton Foundation

A truly unmissable exhibition that offers a rare personal experience in a dynamic dialogue between the artist, his art, and the admirer.

David Hockney
"Bigger Trees near Warter or/ou Peinture sur le Motif pour le Nouvel Age
Post-Photographique" 2007
Oil on 50 canvases (36 x 48" each)
457.2 x 1219.2 cm (180 x 480 Inches)
Β© David Hockney
Photo Credit: Prudence Cuming Associates
Tate, U.K

text by Kim Shveka

In the largest exhibition of one of the most influential artists of the 20th and 21st centuries to date, David Hockney takes over the entirety of the Louis Vuitton Foundation building. This truly monumental exhibit encompasses over 400 works, including a wide variety of media, from traditional oil and acrylic paintings, ink, pencil, and charcoal drawings, as well as digital works on photographic, computer, iPhone, and iPad devices, alongside immersive photo and video installations. Hockney himself curated and was deeply involved in every aspect of the exhibition's design, personally overseeing the sequencing of each room. With the artist creating his own retrospective, visitors get to have a rare, intimate insight into Hockney’s creative universe and process, revealing the evolution of his art over the past three-quarters of a century. The exhibition is an explosion of vibrant, relatable, joyful, and deeply immersive works, radiating the artist’s characteristic joie de vivre and effortlessly infecting viewers with a ray of emotions.

The exhibition unfolds across eleven rooms within the foundation, each thoughtfully organized by theme, period, and medium. This thematic progression aims to provide viewers with a profound and multifaceted understanding of Hockney’s diverse artistic universe. The journey commences with an impactful introduction, showcasing Hockney’s most iconic pieces, including A Bigger Splash (1967), Portrait of an Artist (1972), and Portrait of My Father (1955). This deliberate choice to open the exhibition with such emblematic and grand works strongly establishes Hockney’s primal artistic direction throughout his extensive and prolific career.

 

David Hockney
Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), 1972
Acrylic on canvas
213.36 x 304.8 cm (84 x 120 Inches)
Β© David Hockney
Photo Credit: Art Gallery of New South Wales / Jenni Carter

 

The following room features four large paintings that mirror one another, all interconnected by a profound theme exploring human communicationβ€”both with others and with oneself. Two almost identical paintings face each other: Pictured Gathering with Mirror (2018) and Pictures at an Exhibition from the same year. Both depict an exact replica of twenty-five figures seated and standing in various positions. In the former, they face a mirror, while in the latter, they face a vibrant exhibition. This visual dialogue creates a compelling interplay of reflection and perception, drawing viewers into Hockney’s intricate world and capturing their attention at the start of the journey.

 

Installation views David Hockney 25, galerie 4
Β© David Hockney Β© Fondation Louis Vuitton / Marc Domage

 

The foundation’s first floor is entirely dedicated to David Hockney’s time spent in Normandy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, he completed 220 works solely on his iPad in 2020, all under the sentimental title Do Remember, They Can’t Cancel the Spring. Overflowing with hope and a renewed admiration for life, Hockney discovered an infinite number of subjects in his surroundings, celebrating the subtle nuances of change, the shifting seasons, the mundane, painting plants in all their varied states. By embracing the iPad, he allowed himself to revisit the same motifs, continually and rapidly renewing his artistic output, while also being able to document his entire creative progression from a blank screen to a finished work of art. While the medium of art painted on an iPad is often subject to criticism, the preceding display of Hockney’s previous works affirms his skill and clear artistic vision. This daring embrace of new technology, particularly at the age of eighty-two at the time, is truly admirable, indicating his fearless willingness to experiment with practices often associated with younger artists.

 

David Hockney
"27th March 2020, No. 1"
iPad painting printed on paper, mounted on 5 panels
Exhibition Proof 2
364.09 x 521.4 cm (143.343 x 205.276 Inches)
Β© David Hockney

 

The next section transitions to showcase Hockney’s dialogue with other painters, displaying his respect for those who inspired him. He pays homage to artists such as Fra Angelico, CΓ©zanne, Picasso, and Van Gogh, reinterpreting their works with his own vision and aesthetic. As seen in A Bigger Card Players (2015), where he directly references CΓ©zanne’s Card Players (1890-1895), Hockney creates a powerful mise en abyme by incorporating the same work in the background, alongside Pearblossom Hwy, which is positioned in the same room. The interior wall depicted in the image echoes the very room we are in, creating yet another mise en abyme, this time for the viewer themselves. The understanding of the painters who preceded him, and their contributions to the art world and to Hockney himself, allows us not only to admire Hockney for his deep respect for these grand artists but to perceive art in its totality from a much broader perspective.


As we approach the end of the exhibition, we discover Hockney’s passion and love for opera. In 1975, the artist was commissioned by the Glyndebourne Festival to design the sets and costumes for Igor Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, and since then, opera and set design have remained deeply close to his heart. In this installation, we discovered his latest creation, Hockney Paints the Stage, a musical and visual reinterpretation of his drawings and sets for various operas. This room truly adds another dimension to the exhibition, not only through the overflowing operatic scores of Mozart, Wagner, and Stravinsky, but also by firmly establishing Hockney’s comprehensive artistic background. Within this 360-degree, light-filled room, one truly realizes the depth and sustaining love for life that Hockney has and can communicate, and by this point, you can feel it too.

 

Installation views "David Hockney 25", galerie 10
Hockney Paints the Stage, 2025
Creation of David Hockney & Lightroom
Conception 59 Productions
Installation views "David Hockney 25", galerie 10
Β© David Hockney Β© Fondation Louis Vuitton / Marc Domage

 

Leaving the opera room, filled with emotion, the exhibition climaxes in a more intimate space that unveils David Hockney’s most recent works, painted in London, where the artist has resided since July 2023. These particularly enigmatic paintings draw inspiration from Edvard Munch and William Blake, exemplified by After Munch: Less is Known than People Think (2023) and After Blake: Less is Known than People Think (2024), directly inspired by Blake’s illustrations for Dante’s Divine Comedy. The title appears three times within the painting, feels like a deliberate mantra, beautifully combined with a landscape depicting the abiding cycle of night and day, perfectly aligning with the artist’s profound notion that β€œit is the now that is eternal.”

Hockney concludes the exhibition with his latest self-portrait, a deliberate choice that felt like the perfect finale to such a comprehensive, personal exhibition. In this portrait, he portrays himself drawing outdoors, holding a cigarette, adorned in colorful attire and his signature framed glasses, gazing directly at the viewer. It can be viewed like his own personal valediction, a way of saying goodbye and a heartfelt β€œthank you for being here, and I hope you understood.”

 

David Hockney
"May Blossom on the Roman Road" 2009
Oil on 8 canvases (36 x 48" each)
182.88 x 487.7 x 0 cm (72 x 192 x 0 Inches)
Β© David Hockney
Photo Credit: Richard Schmidt

 

David Hockney 25 is on view through August 31 at the Louis Vuitton Foundation 8, Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi Bois de Boulogne, 75116

Remember The Future: Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2025 Men’s Collection

Louis Vuitton’s Fall-Winter 2025 Men’s Collection, unveiled during Paris Fashion Week, represents a calculated exploration of the boundaries between luxury and streetwear. Spearheaded by Pharrell Williams, Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Creative Director, alongside Japanese designer Nigo, the collection is a carefully constructed dialogue between heritage craftsmanship and the cultural vibrancy of contemporary fashion. The collection's most striking feature is its ability to harmonize seemingly disparate elements. Varsity jackets, with their bold, nostalgic presence, are reimagined with intricate detailing that elevates them from casual wear to high fashion. Tailored suits, traditionally seen as symbols of rigidity and formality, are imbued with a modern energy, pairing unexpected textures and relaxed silhouettes. Cherry blossom motifsβ€”subtle yet evocativeβ€”thread through the collection, grounding it in a sense of delicate refinement often associated with Japanese artistry. This synthesis of aesthetics reflects the creative sensibilities of Williams and Nigo, both of whom have built their careers on the ability to bridge the cultural and stylistic divides between the East and West. Their partnership feels both intuitive and precise, leveraging Nigo's roots in Japanese streetwear and Pharrell’s broader, global perspective on music, art, and fashion. The show itself was a statement. Staged in a the historic Cour CarrΓ©e du Louvre, it mirrored not only the collection’s theme of duality but also the house’s commitment to presenting fashion as a form of cultural spectacle.

Gregory Crewdson: Unveiling the Dark Side of the American Dream at Espace Louis Vuitton MΓΌnchen

The Espace Louis Vuitton MΓΌnchen is showcasing a new exhibition dedicated to American photographer Gregory Crewdson. As part of the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s "Hors-les-murs" programme, two exclusive series from Crewdson’s work, Dream House (2002) and Cathedral of the Pines (2014), are displayed for the first time in Munich.

Crewdson, a key figure in contemporary photography, has spent decades capturing the haunting essence of middle-class America, revealing its dark side through carefully staged, cinematic scenes. His images evoke a sense of surrealism, blending autobiography with an exploration of America’s faded dream, marked by eerie, deserted landscapes and mysterious characters. Crewdson’s work draws on film noir, psychological drama, and fantasy to create an unsettling atmosphere, reminiscent of David Lynch’s style.

Over the years, his technique evolved from simple compositions to elaborate productions with full film crews, as seen in Dream House. The Cathedral of the Pines series reflects a more personal and intimate phase, connected to his own life and family.

On view from 11.10.2024 to 22.02.2025 Espace Louis Vuitton MΓΌnchen Maximilianstrasse 2a, 80539 MΓΌnchen, Germany.

Louis Vuitton's SS25 Men's Collection Is a Paean to Late South Korean Painter Park Seo-Bo

Louis Vuitton launches Fall, a Men’s Capsule Collection released in September 2024. Founded in the dandy elegance at the heart of the practice of Pharrell Williams, the proposal hones the switching of dress codes instinctive to the Maison’s menswear in a versatile and transversal wardrobe suspended between city life and weekend getaways. Riffing on the philosophy introduced by the Men’s Creative Director for the runway collection in June 2024, the capsule focuses on macro versus micro visions of color, construction, and surface decoration, inviting the eye to zoom in and out to discover the savoir-faire that permeates every garment and accessory. The premise inspires a creative exchange with the Estate of the late South Korean painter Park Seo-Bo – known for his minimalist yet graphically impactful lines – across ready-to-wear, leather goods and shoes. Before his passing in 2023, Park Seo-Bo previously collaborated with Louis Vuitton on the ArtyCapucines project in 2019.

Louis Vuitton's Spring 2024 Men's Capsule Collection Is A Fusion of Visions

 
 

creative direction by Tyler, the Creator and Pharrell Williams

Louis Vuitton’s iconic imagery is a staple in the fashion world, unique and identifiable amidst the ever-changing tides of trends. Despite this classic style that cements the brand’s singular voice, their ability to evolve and innovate that image is constant. The 2024 Men’s Capsule Collection displays this innovation while still staying true to the brand’s face by staging an instinctive union between the visual universes, combining the distinctive artistic voices of the Menswear Creative Director Pharrell Williams with long time friend of him and the brand, Tyler, the Creator. Fusing the signature preppy sophistication popularized by the artist with the elegant dandy dressing established by Pharrell Williams at the Maison, it evokes the brand’s common palette of earthy creams and browns, as well as muted yet still vibrant blues and greens to support the pops of bright color that bring the air of spring into this lineup. The emblem of the collection being a craggy monogram, hand-drawn by the artist himself. Throughout the collection you can feel the creative collaboration take place and see the marriage of these two’s strong visions come together.

 
 

Read Bliss Foster's Notes on Paris Fashion Week Men's Fall 2024

 

Loewe photograph by Daniele Oberrauch / gorunway.com

 

Loewe continues to be a dominant force in Paris. Even when we can’t possibly fathom that the winning streak has lasted this long, Jonathan Anderson’s consistency remains a staple of the week. Though, this should not be mistaken for stagnation. Runway pieces were merged with their nearby garments, most notably: socks that grew into pants and a waistband with a kangaroo pocket as a roof. The show itself is not enough to understand how exciting these clothes are β€” both the shearlings and the leather could be described as buttery, the patterns remain radically inventive, and the volume of beading in this collection is truly something to behold. 

 

Kartik Research photograph by Vivek Vadoliya

 

This season was the season of parents. Designer Kartik Kumra presented his brand’s first collection in Paris in the enthusiastic presence of his parents. They proudly wore their favorite designs from his emerging label, Kartik Research β€” a label whose fabrics are famously created without the use of electricity and whose embellishments feature the skilled artisanship found in Kartik’s home country of India. At KidSuper, Colm Dillane’s parents can be seen as crucial members of the team, often credited by Colm for contributing to the presentations. This season, Mr. & Mrs. Dillane made room for other members of the tightly-packed front row by squeezing together. Colm’s father was ultimately squeezed off the bench and enjoyed the show seated in his wife’s lap, creating a quintessentially KidSuper moment: optimistic and motion-picture-like.

 

courtesy of Louis Vuitton

 

It is possible that Pharrell’s work is attempting to revive the American spirit in fashion, maybe even through the same romantic lens with which Ralph Lauren created an empire. But his Louis Vuitton attempts to mythologize the beauty of his home beyond the whitewashed notions that have dominated the idea of American-ness in the minds of those abroad. This season, the Dakota and Lakota tribes were foundational to the collection, both in their artistic contributions on clothing and bags, as well as their endorsement of Pharell’s Western Americana that introduced the rest of the world to the Native American and Black cowboys. Cowboys of color can be easily forgotten when the idea of the West is so aligned with Buffalo Bills and Butch Cassidys, but through Pharrell, I think Louis Vuitton is hoping to create a new and more inclusive empire.

photo by Luca Tombolini and Gaspar Ruiz Lindberg

photo by Christina Fragkou

photo by Luca Tombolini and Gaspar Ruiz Lindberg

This is the footwear segment of this article. Among any discussion of footwear in any recent season, you will find well-earned praise for the creations of Rushemy Botter & Lisi Herrebrugh. Historic standouts include a hybridized cleat and banker shoe stacked on top of each other, or a 3D printed Reebok sneaker inspired by murex shells. This season, Botter’s shoes move us back to hybridization; the result is 70% soccer cleat, but bred with a bouldering shoe to create a rounded heel. What’s exciting is that we’re finally getting some Botter concept shoes as product. It’s, of course, difficult to make a prototype into a sellable shoe. Just ask Rick Owens, who continued to tackle the β€œconcept as product” dilemma in the most effective way of any working designer. With Rick, if your eyes see it on the runway, it will be sold as product. This promise becomes even more compelling when you consider the Rick Owens lamp helmets, personal fog machines and now, balloon shoes equipped with inflatable valve. These flotation shoes were a staple of the show, which took place in Rick’s Paris home with a scaled down audience. 

 

courtesy of Junya Watanabe

 

Pattern cutting is the primary contribution to the world for certain brands, Junya Watanabe immediately comes to mind. In this iteration of his absurdly complex patterns, the result is more visually subtle, yet some of the ideas executed in this show are so simple and brilliant that you wonder why it hasn’t been done before β€” notably a coat with sleeves takes the common gesture of wearing a coat as a cape, but doesn’t give you the option to use the sleeves at all. Outerwear fuses together top and bottom to create long coats. Despite how often the comparisons are drawn between the designers who used to be pattern cutters for Rei Kawakubo, I can’t help but think of how this idea would fit so well into Chitose Abe’s Sacai and her elaborate experimentation with hybridizing clothing. On the other hand, Sacai’s approach is much more detail oriented and uses more visual reference β€” a clear ode to pajamas becomes rugged outerwear at Sacai.

 

Dior photo by Brett Lloyd

 

Dior Men was a carousel this season, a literal carousel that spun the models around in a sort of lazy-susan (a mega-susan??) and then lifted the looks eight feet off the ground. The music was the β€œDance of the Knights” from the ballet of Romeo and Juliet, a dance that features predominantly circular movements, so that seems to check out. Dior’s menswear offering centers around tailoring every season, and usually brings variety through styling details, with one noteworthy detail in particular. This season, that detail comes through women’s dress flats and mary-janes worn with colorful socks. Kim Jones continues to find bizarre deep-cut garments to include in unexpected ways: a belted safari jacket is a great example. 

 

Airei photo by Andrew Morales

 

Performance art and fashion have endured a rocky relationship β€” at times, performance art is a critical component of understanding a presentation, at other times, it is distracting at its absolute best. Thankfully, the emotionally intricate brand Airei reminded us this season that performance art is a deeply fitting cross section with conceptual fashion. Designer Drew Curry did not outsource the performance art β€” he meditated in an armchair for his presentation while attendees tried on the collection. By meditated, I mean he sat in an armchair for six hours staring at a video of his newborn son. Members of the press relations team at his showroom, Dover Street Market Paris, told me that he had originally intended to meditate for twelve hours but was limited in time by the venue he hosted the presentation in. But performance aside, this was undeniably Curry’s best collection since the inception of the brand. Materials at Airei have always been exciting and innovative, in the past he has used fish scraps from sushi restaurants for their leather and human hair mats as an insulating and absorbent textile. The yak wool coats this season feature one of the most beautiful and dimensional fabrics I have seen in my career. 

 

courtesy of Hermès

 

This was our first time attending Hermès — and it did not disappoint in the slightest. In fact, it was even better than I had ever anticipated. Ultra luxury houses have earned this reputation for being boring. Hermès bucks that assumption and presents a collection that appears minimal to the eye, yet features some of the most exciting pattern work I have seen this year. Details include cashmere linings that extend past the zipper, squishy deerskin coats, double-collared shirts, and a ponyhair sleeveless top that looked as good as it felt.

 

Winnie photo by Stanislas Motz-Neidhart

 

Winnie’s collection this season was a standout because its founder, Idris Balogun, is the most qualified newcomer to the Paris calendar. He cut his teeth on Saville Row and now brings that millimeter precision to the runway. This season, by focusing on ease, Balogun was able to deliver a consistent and confident drop-shoulder to many of his blazers and jackets. The casting and styling was exceptionally executed and authentic to the Beat Generation and ’50s inspiration that underpinned the show β€” a refreshing new source of inspiration for tailoring. 

Walter Van Bierendonck photo by Catwalk Pictures / Etienne Tordoir

Deceptive goofiness took everyone by surprise with Doublet and Walter Van Bierendonck; both brands that many folks often dismiss as lighthearted and silly. Walter delivered a poignant performance art piece more than a runway. Each of the models was given a speaker smaller than a golf ball and were told to walk slowly through a series of rooms reciting facts about themselves while a different song played from each model’s speaker. Walter’s ongoing anti-war theme feels more relevant with each passing season. Walter’s designs are not runway-only, it’s always wonderful to see a devoted customer proudly wearing the same piece in the wild. Doublet, the Japanese brand with the most playful shows in Paris, changed directions this season by delivering a parody of Balenciaga. Imitating Demna’s self-serious in-joke created a new move in fashion’s Irony Chess.

Santa Cruz by Saskia Schmidt & Pino Sartorio

full look: Balenciaga archives

photography by Pino Sartorio
styling by Saskia Schmidt
hair & makeup by Ischrak Nitschke
modeling by Marta Toba

coat: Barbour International
jacket: Brogger
dress: Jaded London 
shoes: Louis Vuitton x Vestiaire Collective

full look: Ottolinger

top & dress: Preen by Thornton Bregazzi
skirt: Gucci archive 
glasses: HBA x Gentle Monster 

full look: Balenciaga archives

Color My Life With The Chaos Of Trouble By Jana Gerberding and Mine Uludag

photography by Jana Gerberding
styling by Mine Uludag
casting by Eli Xavier
modeled by Winter, Aime, Bethlehem, Lici, Xen Hur, Dhyhani, and Sophia

Life today offers almost infinite possibilities juxtaposed by maximum confrontation with internal pressures, domestic threats, and global uncertainties. We participate in social movements that are meant to liberate us from oppression and share them on the same social platforms that torment us with an incessant evaluation of our appearance and identity. What exactly do you have to prove today as a young woman? What is socially expected? What does femininity even mean? Is there a new femininity? Does gender play a role at all? Isnβ€˜t it just about individuality and belonging?

Making choices and gaining confidence is for many young people an inner conflict between knowing who they want to be and who they really are.

Our heroines in these portraits embody different possibilities of the feminine. A portrayal that describes the role of the body, identity, the power of self-confidence, and individuality.

This is a portrait of a growing female generation who is not afraid.

LEFT Dyhani is wearing full look Celine.
RIGHT Sophia is wearing panties by Prada, bra by Dior, and stockings by Hermès.

Bethlehem is wearing dress by Arturo Obegero.

LEFT Dyhani is wearing leather coat by Max Mara and sunglasses by Celine.
RIGHT full look Celine

Winter is wearing white blouse by Jil Sander and black skirt by Dries Van Noten.

Aime is wearing skirt and jewelry by Versace and cropped zip top by Alexander McQueen.

LEFT Sophia is wearing bra by Versace, hoodie by Sankuanz, skirt by Louis Vuitton.
RIGHT Xen is wearing top and skirt by Ottolinger.

LEFT Bethlehem is wearing corsage by Alexander McQueen.
RIGHT Bethlehem is wearing dress by Arturo Obegero and boots by Dries Van Noten

LEFT Xen is wearing dress by Missoni.
RIGHT Sophia is wearing bra and shoes by Versace, hoody by Sankuanz, and skirt by Louis Vuitton.

Aime is wearing skirt, boots and balaklava by Max Mara, long sleeve shirt by Lacoste, and leather jacket by Louis Vuitton.

LEFT Xen is wearing dress and heels by Missoni.
RIGHT Lici is wearing long sleeve shirt by Balenciaga, skirt by Loewe, stockings by Hermès, and boots by Dries Van Noten.

Read Our Round-Up Review of Paris Fashion Week 2015 →

Again, I will have to touch upon what makes this particular round unique to the industry and important for fashion. But honesty, do I actually need to make an argument concerning Paris and its total domination of conceptual fashion? OK, here’s an argument for you: Raf Simons, Rick Owens, Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yammamoto, Dries Van Noten, Martin Margiela, Junya Wattanabe, Olivier Rousteing, and need I continue? A lot happens at Paris: some bad, some good, and some utterly transcendent. It’s too much to write about really. It’s the longest of the fashion weeks and it can be easy to forget about incredible shows mere days after they happened. Today as I am baffled yet excited over the announcement of Demna Gvasalia of Vetements being named creative director to Balenciaga while former Balenciaga godhead Nicolas Ghesquiere continues to alter the fabric of what we know to be Louis Vuitton, I almost forgot that Rick Owens put on the funniest and most conceptual collection of the week. So another season is over, and the buying begins. See you at the menswear shows. Click here to read the full review. Text by Adam Lehrer. 

Louis Vuitton β€œObjets Nomades” at Salone del Mobile 2015

On display on Corso Venezia, Louis Vuitton asked 9 designers to interprate the art of travelling through innovative and luxurious handcrafted objects. The "Objets Nomades" collection was presented in conjunction with the 2015 Salone del Mobile. photographs by Juanco Viso. 

[FIRST LOOK] Louis Vuitton Presents Luxury Bike Polo

To introduce the launch of the new bike polo, Louis Vuitton presents an new action packed short film starring Jonathan Leder and starring Britany Nola (Playboy's Miss November 2012) as a sexy referee during a bike polo match. One of Louis Vuitton’s ongoing projects is the β€œsport objects” series, represented here with an elegant fixed gear, polo bike made up of elements of steel, aluminium, leather, canvas, and high-density plastic (the front wheel is closed with damier graphite canvas to prevent the ball from passing through or to get a mallet mingled in the wheel). These state of the art - not for sale - unique pieces are also highly functional equipment, designed by Louis Vuitton and produced in collaboration with the most renowned craftsmen in their respective field. Faithful to its innovator origins, this luxury Bike Polo perfectly embodies the exclusive sport objects produced by the House. With the film, director Jonathan Leder introduces his highly aesthetic vision of bike polo, an elegant back-lit choreography where all the players glide into a film noir scenery; a hazy staging featuring the β€œLouis Vuitton Boys”, not without a touch of irony.

Yayoi Kusama for Louis Vuitton

Princess of polka dots Yayoi Kusama has teamed up with Louis Vutton for a special capsule collection. The collection, entitledΒ InfinitelyΒ Kusama, is set to be unveiled on July 10, conveniently timed with Kusama’s major retrospective at the Whitney Museum in New York. The goods will be available in Vuitton’s 461 stores starting July 11, with a second line arriving in October.

Her New Religion

Wearing Larry Gagosian and billionaire art patron Eli Broad's credit cards as charms from a rosary like Chanel necklace, and decked out in other shiny designer accessories, the subject in the painting, entitled Her New Religion, by artist Anna Halldin Maule, is a brilliant psychological statement on the blatant and shocking materialism of the art world. The subject, wearing nothing save for a pair of tiny pink lace panties, in a pose similar to the praying saints of classical paintings, almost denounces the art world as a religion where money is god and billionaire patrons are like sugar-daddy saints. Anna Halldin Maule, a painter who originally hails from Sweden and now lives in Hawaii with her husband and creative partner, uses techniques of the the old masters to paint incredibly life like portraits that explore the themes of materialism and money with glossy, erotic overtones.  After the jump watch the whole process of her working with the model, capturing the perfect pose, and the meticulous brushstroke by brushstroke process of her amazing painting technique. www.halldinmaule.com

Louis Vuitton Voyages

Vuitton Family, 1888

When Louis Vuitton founded his maroquinerieΒ label inΒ 1854 on Rue Neuve des Capucines in Paris heΒ knew how to make a good travelling case. Β This is proven in durability and by the fact that most of the cases, even the earliest examples, still stand the test of time. And, just as well, the ethos of handmade luxury, that has slowly faded into a seemingly prehistoric notion, has lasted too–leaving the Vuitton unprecedented in the integrity of its craft–even through corporate mastication,Β mergers, and a platform in the publicly traded market. The Louis Vuitton label has had its own history in China too–in an age when the orient was a universe away from its Parisian base.Β In 1931 the Croisiere Jaune expedition led 40 men to drive 12,000 km from the Mediterranean coast to the China coast, following the footsteps of Marco Polo, was outfitted with Louis Vuitton trunks. And even further backΒ to the 1907 Paris to Peking expedition when members struggled against temperatures as low as -30 degrees in cars outfitted with Louis Vuitton trunks. On view now until August 31 at theΒ National Museum of China in Beijing,Β "Louis Vuitton Voyages" explores its own history and tradition since its inception as well as celebrates the label's place in Chinese culture.

[Lost Generation] Voyager avec Annemarie Scharzenbach

An overview of the work of traveler, journalist, writer, photographer, Annemarie Scharzenbach, is set to be released as a collaboration publication with the French journal La Quinzaine LittΓ©raire and Louis Vuitton. Annemarie, born in Switzerland in 1908, was an icon of the Lost Generation and the live fast die young ethos of the Weimar Republic, an interwar era of morphine and fast cars. Voyager avec Annemarie Scharzenbach - La QuΓͺte du rΓ©el is the first in depth look at her work, accompanied by about forty photographs taken by Annemarie herself. The book is set to be released in May. www.quintzaine-litteraire.presse.fr