Inside a Parisian Train Station, Louis Vuitton Presents a Collection of Traveling Characters

"The fall-winter 2025-2026 collection pulls into a station where all emotions converge," the show notes read at Louis Vuitton yesterday. Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton's creative director of womenswear since 2013, took inspiration from the concept of a bustling train station in Paris, where people are both coming and going, traveling to a far-off land and returning to the comforts of home. "At the end of the same platform is the hopefulness of love or the melancholy of separation," the notes continue.
The French fashion house brought together its slew of A-list ambassadors, including Sophie Turner and Emma Stone, at L'Étoile du Nord, a "secret station" that once housed the headquarters of a 19th-century train company. The show venue is also conveniently located next door to one of Paris's main train stations, Gare du Nord, adding a touch of reality to Ghesquière's make-believe adventure. The recently renovated space, according to Louis Vuitton, "springs to life anew to tell a story about transportation and the compelling dual meaning contained in that word: adventure and enchantment."
The show space started out completely dark before a slew of different characters ascended a staircase, entering the runway as light filled the multistory venue. Music by electro group Kraftwerk rang out, and everyone in attendance turned their attention to the show's 61 total ensembles. Some had an '80s look to them, while others were sportier. New and old Louis Vuitton luggage was displayed alongside a mix of bohemian frocks and comfort-first sets, and one model was even carrying a luxurious throw (for mid-travel naps I presume). Plaid, velvet, ruffles, and fur all, too, were incorporated in the fall offering.
For more highlights of the show, keep scrolling.
A Collection of Characters
If, upon taking in Louis Vuitton's F/W 25 collection as a whole, you don't see connections between each individual look, you're not alone. That's because Ghesquière wanted the models featured in his latest show to represent a collection of characters you'd find in a train station. Some are commuters coming and going from work, while others are traveling to a far-off destination, ready for a hike, business trip, or sporting event. "The concourse becomes the setting for a multitude of stylistic narratives," the show notes read.
Mr. Ghesquière's Girls
Louis Vuitton's show during Paris Fashion Week always provides us with best-in-class celebrity sightings, and this season was hardly the exception. At yesterday's show were musicians like Lisa and Haim as well as actors Saoirse Ronan, Sophie Turner, Ava DuVernay, Emma Stone, Phoebe Dynevor, and Who What Wear's August 2024 cover star Adria Arjona.
Lisa
Sophie Turner
Ava DuVernay
Saoirse Ronan
Emma Stone
Adria Arjona
Luggage, Old and New
Luggage has always been an integral part of the house of Louis Vuitton, so it should come as no surprise that, in a travel-inspired collection, there would be an abundance of new and old luggage options for shoppers to choose from for fall 2025. Throughout the show, models carried a variety of bags perfect for jet-setting, including Louis Vuitton's beloved Keepall in new colorways as well as the brand-new L'Express, a more flexible version of the Keepall that's defined by soft colors and fine lines. A word to the wise: These bags are not meant to be checked, only to be tossed around a packed luggage compartment. I repeat, they are carry-ons only.
'80s Touches
Over the last few Louis Vuitton seasons, subtle references to 1980s fashion have popped up here and there, but for fall 2025, the era's influence was far more obvious in the prints, necklines, slouchy boots, and voluminous proportions. Belted waists contrasted with ruffled A-line skirts and chunky, printed knitwear, while patterned skirt suits with padded shoulders were worn alongside brightly colored handbags.
Eliza Huber is an NYC-based senior fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and the intersection of sports and fashion. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 from Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a business degree from the University of Iowa. She's launched two columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Gracie Abrams, and Sabrina Carpenter; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top runway trends each season. Eliza lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, watching WNBA games, and scouring The RealReal for discounted Prada.
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