Under the warm glow of a glorious sunset and the imposing concrete arches of Shanghai’s Long Museum, China’s fashion glitterati were joined by global and local stars for Louis Vuitton’s debut Pre-Fall Voyager show.
This was a major China runway show, like the four the brand has pulled off here since 2020, but also the global debut of a collection (Pre-Fall 2024) in the mainland. With the likes of Cate Blanchett, Hoyeon Jung, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany, Chloë Grace Moretz, Amber Liu, Jackson Wang, Ouyang Nana, Zhou Dongyu, and Du Juan sitting front row, a statement was made.
With Dior canceling its big Hong Kong show originally scheduled for March (but going ahead with its New York runway in April), Louis Vuitton’s China showcase is a telling narrative.
In a strategic nod to the importance of this market, Shanghai was chosen as the premiere venue for the “Voyager” shows. The brand reveals that all destination shows (men’s, women’s, Pre-Fall, and Cruise) are to be all unified and branded under a singular “Voyager” series in homage to the French Maison’s roots and core spirit of travel.
Louis Vuitton’s creative director, Nicolas Ghesquière, is marking a decade-long tenure with the brand. The collection oscillated from colorful, pop, contemporary flourishes punctuated with bright prints to more structured, hard-edged elegance in muted hues. Those wide shoulders and boxy tops have become striking, favorite silhouettes at Louis Vuitton and are welcome manifestations in a collection all about juxtaposing freedom and form.
There is the wow-factor and post-climatic glow of a star-studded show, but making that moment last longer is always a challenge.
Louis Vuitton’s post-show recap livestream on the brand’s official Xiaohongshu channel was watched by over 470,000 fans as of today, hosted by Linda Li, with appearances by stylist Lucia Liu, celebrity Amber Liu, and KOL Yuyu Zhangzou.
The social media impact was impressive, with the hashtag #LVbigshow garnering 970 million views and 3.23 million engagements, while #LVprefallwomenshow gained 150 million views and 6.26 million engagements on Weibo. The event even momentarily reached the second-highest spot on Weibo’s “Hot List.”
The brand also created significant buzz around the city with its lighthearted, pop culture-inspired collaboration with post-90s female Chinese artist Sun Yitan. Posters were plastered on street sides, while yellow plastic ducks, zebras, and leopards took over billboards, Shanghai’s hippest neighborhoods, and even the K11 skyscraper building.
“An exuberance of color and joyfulness salutes the tremendous stylistic vitality of China’s youth,” states the show notes in reference to Sun’s plastic toy prints adorning see-now, buy-now accessories and printed on satin coats and dresses from Pre-Fall 2024.
While her artwork made for “charming, figurative bestiary,” bringing youthful energy to the affair, the artist herself wanted this to go beyond another fashion and art product collab. Her exploration of mass production and what it means to be “Made in China” is especially pertinent in today’s China.
“I don’t want people to just see this as a collaborative bag or limited-edition perfume with a rabbit or a duck on it,” Yitan says. “I want them to dig deeper and grasp the cultural significance and creative concepts woven into this product collaboration.”
To convert a fashion moment into something with prolonged impact and strong sales, Louis Vuitton enacted a clever strategy around its accessory collection. By enabling China’s VIP clients to spontaneously snap up their favorite pieces before the line drops in stores worldwide on May 17, a PR and marketing moment is transformed into an emotive and exclusive retail experience.
With luxury brands re-focusing on their VICs during uncertain economic times, it’s no wonder this collection’s re-see schedule will land in seven Chinese cities, including Beijing, Chengdu, and Qingdao — along with the opportunity to buy selected items on the spot.