All Aboard 'The Louis,' Louis Vuitton's Historic Exhibition in Shanghai

By The Fashion Editorial Team

In a convergence of architecture, artistry, and legacy, Louis Vuitton reveals its most immersive cultural voyage yet: Visionary Journeys, an experiential exhibition set within an architectural marvel. In the heart of Shanghai, The Louis rises with gleaming metallic hull, stacked trunk silhouette, and sweeping decks as a nod to transoceanic grandeur and Louis Vuitton's 19th-century origin as a trunk-maker for elite travel. Inside, a labyrinthine voyage awaits, with Visionary Journeys charting the House’s 170-year expedition across craft, travel, scent, sport, and fashion. Designed to resemble a futuristic vessel, The Louis is eternally moored at the intersection of memory and innovation.

Upon entry, guests are transported by the ethereal Trunkscape, a gravity-defying portal of Monogram canvas trunks conceived by Shohei Shigematsu of OMA. Previously seen in Bangkok and Osaka, the Shanghai iteration suspends the viewer between the natural and the surreal as lush digital landscapes fade in and out behind a tunnel of Vuitton history.

From there, Visionary Journeys unfolds like a grand novel in archival rooms that are at once historic and enriching. In Origins, heritage pieces like the Gris Trianon trunk and couture wardrobe cases speak of a Maison constantly anticipating the next era of travel—whether by steamer, airship, or private jet.

The Perfume room is equally compelling as a sensory gallery. A crocodile-and-crystal toiletry kit and vintage flacons of “Heures d’Absence” glimmer alongside Jacques Cavallier Belletrud’s more recent olfactive artworks. Each scent becomes a portal, echoing the House's belief that memory, like fragrance, lingers on long after the journey ends.

In Books, trunks turn to libraries and Gaston-Louis Vuitton’s travel writings become cartographic dreams. A first-edition Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, referencing the legendary tale of a lost manuscript found in a Vuitton trunk, reminds us that the House is as much a patron of narrative as it is of luxury goods.

Vuitton’s athletic legacy is honored in Sport, where archival cases designed for Olympic torches, F1 trophies, and racquets illuminate a deep-rooted love of motion. Evoking the spirit of innovative design, Fashion in Motion is a tribute to the House’s creative evolution—the story from which Marc Jacobs’ subversive silhouettes and Pharrell Williams’ genre-defying audacity emerged.

Dining at Le Café Louis Vuitton, above the exhibition, only adds to the enchantment. Curated by Chef Leonardo Zambrino and Zoe Zhou, the menu blends French haute cuisine with local flavors, resulting in a culinary experience that feels quintessentially Shanghai. Each dish, from "Monogram Raviolis" served as jiaozis, to a "Mandarin Croque" featuring duck confit, is a nuanced expression of Vuitton's expansive sensory universe.

The exhibition is open daily Monday to Sunday from 10am to 10pm, with admission complimentary through the “My LV” WeChat mini program. As sunset falls upon Shanghai's majestic skyline, the vessel stands ready to embark on its historical journey, one that reflects Shanghai's storied history as a global crossroads. Reminiscent of Vuitton's founding story, where travelers relied on its crafted trunks for sea-faring journeys across international waters, this floating exhibition becomes poised on the cusp of tomorrow, anchored in a city where dreams and possibility converge.

Imagery courtesy of Louis Vuitton