Story | Leslie Yip Boucher-Harris Photography | Louis Vuitton
This September Louis Vuitton held its very first runway presentation in Canada—an exclusive trunk show featuring the Fall/Winter 2024 collection at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall.
Retrospection and introspection: Nicolas Ghesquière celebrates his 10-year adventure with Louis Vuitton, with many reinterpreted notions from the past decade.
This collection marks the 10th anniversary of Nicolas Ghesquière’s tenure as Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Director of Women’s Collections. It was first shown at the Cour Carrée at the Louvre, which was also the site of Ghesquière’s very first Louis Vuitton show. The honeycombed metal-and-glass canopy outside the main auditorium at Roy Thompson Hall seems to echo Louvre’s iconic glass pyramid, while the surrounding skyscrapers celebrate Toronto’s bustling urban landscape.
Louis Vuitton has always been partial to Toronto. Its first dedicated location in Canada opened in 1983 on Bloor Street’s “mink mile”. More than 40 years later, the Bloor Street store remains the Maison’s largest in the country, which now boasts 10 locations from coast to coast. Toronto is also christened in the highly regarded City Guide this year, so it should come as no surprise that the runway show was held here. 
Meanwhile, other Canadian cities are getting a lot of love from the brand as well, with the opening of the reimagined store at the Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver, as well as the new store in Montreal’s luxury Royalmount mall.
Approximately 200 guests were in attendance, and rumour has it that an invitation was not easy to come by. Those that were lucky enough were definitely loyal fans—Damier checks and monograms abounded, as well as that distinctive Ghesquière silhouette. Some even sported the same dresses as the models on the runway.
A stunning installation of stacked mirrored trunks became a favourite photo spot for the guests.
Approximately 200 guests were invited to Louis Vuitton’s first runway show in Canada, some coming from as far as Calgary and Montreal.
The show highlighted the brand’s ability to blend classic elegance with modern playfulness and even some futuristic flair. Many pieces pay tribute to Ghesquière’s signature touches from the last decade. It opened with fresh takes on athleisure, where technical parkas were transformed into fashion-forward jacket dresses.
Oversized faux fur mittens made a playful comeback, adding an unexpected touch to the collection.
Next, it was a parade of elegant black dresses, many in layered midi and maxi styles, with an unexpected mix of materials like leather, wool, and technical fabrics. The show’s striking finale was a high-low feather dress with delicate lace accents at the waist, a perfect showcase of expert craftsmanship.
There was also a pop-up store that was set up inside the venue, especially for the guests so they could snatch their favourite looks right away, from clothes to jewellery, boots and limited-edition handbags. As the champagne flowed and the orange shopping bags multiplied, for that one afternoon, Toronto felt like Paris.
