The amalgamation of one of the world’s biggest luxury and fashion brands with one of the most creative designers was always going to provoke an electrical storm of anticipation. So much so that when Nicolas Ghesquière’s first outfit sauntered down the catwalk at Louis Vuitton this morning, not a single one of the pictures made it through Paris’s shaky phone networks..

In the meantime, there was plenty to look out for. Ghesquière, a singular designer whose work when he was at Balenciaga was about sci-fi museum-worthy metal leggings and stark architectural shapes, had clearly made a decision to keep it real for his Vuitton debut.Louis Vuitton 2014

There was a large collection featuring many wearable separates – even the sleeveless shift dresses could be layered like separates – that looked to the streets for inspiration. Above the knee A-line skirts, raised waistlines with geometrically printed yokes, fabulous slimmed down, abbreviated leather black coats with conker-coloured collars and Chelsea boots certainly created an initial Sixties impression.

The innovative fabrications – a Ghesquière speciality – were entirely contemporary however, including slit skirts made of wet look leather fused with tweeds and a metal studded floral print.

“Does not every designer want to create something timeless?” wrote Ghesquiere in his show notes, before acknowledging Marc Jacobs, his recent predecessor at Vuitton. Judging by the lustful tone of those tweets once they finally landed,well, job done.

usanewstoday.com