December 6, 2018 | Style & Beauty
Louis Vuitton designer Nicolas Ghesquière and visionary ex-Vogue stylist Grace Coddington introduce a collection based solely on their beloved furry companions, Léon, Pumpkin and Blanket. The trio is illustrated by Coddington and covers Ghesquière's creations, and the results couldn't be cuter. Coddington shares her inspirations below.
Nicolas Ghesquière and Coddington teamed up to create the Louis Vuitton X Grace Coddington collection.
On how she met longtime friend Nicolas Ghesquière...
GRACE CODDINGTON: When I did Vogue’s Alice in Wonderland-themed shoot with Annie Leibovitz [famously depicted in the documentary The September Issue], I desperately wanted to include him. And he made a dress especially for it. After that shooting, we became close friends.
On what she admires most about him...
GC: He’s never following a trend; he’s always driving fashion forward. He’s a designer who bravely makes statements he could be dashed for. He’s always bold and always convincing.
On how the collaboration came about...
GC: We’d been talking about doing something together for about three years, and when I left Vogue to go freelance, we finally could. It was obvious that it was going to involve cats, but I very much wanted to involve his dog, Léon, too. The collaboration is between Nicolas and I—and here we are personified through our animals, so to speak.
The collaboration’s playful pet-inspired accessories range from $150 to $6,000.
On how she got her cats over the years...
GC: There was Brian and Stanley. Then I had Maureen and Doreen. Then Coco, Henri and Baby. Then Puff and Bart, and now Pumpkin and Blanket. I used to go and hang out a lot at the cat show at Madison Square Garden. I met a woman there with three kittens, and that’s where I got Pumpkin, and later I got Blanket from her too.
On having a sense of humor within the world of luxury...
GC: I think it’s essential. Otherwise, it can get very stuffy and choke you. There has to be irreverence.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOUIS VUITTON
