This sacred site will host the next Louis Vuitton fashion show…

When fashion invites itself into the sacred stones of heritage. Next May, Louis Vuitton will be setting up shop in the heart of an unexpected monument: the Palais des Papes in Avignon.

Louis Vuitton invests a Gothic masterpiece

To present its Croisière 2026 collection, the Parisian fashion house has chosen an unprecedented destination: Avignon, in the heart of the Palais des Papes, a listed historic monument and UNESCO site. This will be an absolute first for this European Gothic landmark.

There’s nothing gratuitous about this choice. It’s part of a stated desire to link fashion with culture, to create a dialogue between heritage and contemporary creation. Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s women’s collections, has always stood out for this narrative approach to fashion.

A cruise line dedicated to discovery

Since 2014, Louis Vuitton’s Croisière fashion shows have been conceived as geographical odysseys. From Monaco to Barcelona, via Italy, each collection is anchored in an emblematic setting. Last year, it was Barcelona’s Parc Güell; in 2023, the island of Isola Bella.

This year, it’s Provence. But not just any Provence: the one that embodies the spiritual and political power of the 14th century, that of a fortress palace in the heart of Avignon. A daring, almost sacrilegious gesture, but one that is highly strategic for the LVMH Group company.

Concrete support for French heritage

Louis Vuitton doesn’t stop at symbols. The company has announced the financing of a project to illuminate the Palais des Papes, a way of anchoring its action in the region. Behind the event, a luxury soft power strategy is taking shape.

The Croisière 2026 collection will be available in stores from November. Perfect timing to extend the story beyond the show.

Also read: The Scarlet Handmaiden: 40 years of a masterpiece more relevant than ever