The maison continues its legacy of architectural storytelling with a runway show set against the grandeur of Avignon’s Gothic jewel.
By Fashion Editorial Staff
Bathed in the golden light of southern France and steeped in centuries of spiritual gravitas, the Palais des Papes will soon host not a conclave—but a catwalk. Louis Vuitton has announced that its Cruise 2026 collection will be unveiled on May 22, 2025, at the iconic 14th-century palace in Avignon, marking yet another chapter in the maison’s architectural journey.
Nicolas Ghesquière, Artistic Director of Women’s Collections, has chosen the UNESCO World Heritage site as the next striking backdrop in Louis Vuitton’s tradition of staging runway shows within architectural masterpieces. Once the seat of papal power, the Palais des Papes stands as the largest Gothic palace in Europe—a monumental embodiment of history, power, and poetic ruin.
This marks the first time the landmark will be used for a fashion show. With its soaring vaulted ceilings, labyrinthine chambers, and over 15,000 square meters of space, the setting promises a dramatic dialogue between medieval grandeur and contemporary silhouette. The decision is emblematic of the Cruise collection’s ethos: a celebration of travel, cultural discovery, and sartorial storytelling that transcends borders and eras.
Avignon’s richly layered past only deepens the resonance. Known for its artistic vibrancy and architectural splendor, the city is also celebrating its 25th anniversary as a European Capital of Culture. The 2025 festivities include an ambitious city-wide exhibition of works by Jean-Michel Othoniel, threading contemporary art through ten historic sites—a perfect cultural prelude to Louis Vuitton’s arrival.
The Palais des Papes joins a constellation of iconic venues in Louis Vuitton’s Cruise legacy, from John Lautner’s futuristic Hope Residence in Palm Springs to Oscar Niemeyer’s curved utopia in Niterói, the Miho Museum by I.M. Pei near Kyoto, and the Salk Institute’s brutalist serenity in La Jolla. This Avignon chapter echoes the maison’s early Cruise show at Place du Palais in Monaco and its ethereal presentation at the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul de Vence.
In a gesture of cultural stewardship, Louis Vuitton will also fund a major lighting project to enhance the palace’s façades and surrounding historic buildings. Designed to both beautify and protect, the project will illuminate the square—honoring the past while spotlighting the future.
Though the collection won’t arrive in Louis Vuitton stores until November 2025, the May show is poised to be a striking convergence of eras, disciplines, and dreams. Beneath vaulted arches and beneath the gaze of ancient stone, fashion will once again transcend the runway—becoming something closer to ritual.