“It just occurred to me that you were the second man in her life. I’m not quite sure how to take that.”
That’s how French President Emmanuel Macron opened the Legion of Honor ceremony Friday night honoring Nicolas Ghesquière, whose long, acclaimed tenure as artistic director of women’s collections at Louis Vuitton was headlined by dressing First Lady Brigitte Macron.
That was the first of many chuckles that rippled through the crowd gathered at the Élysée Palace, which included the entire Arnault family; actresses Catherine Deneuve, Jennifer Connelly, Léa Seydoux, Ana de Armas and Marina Foïs; singers Charlotte Gainsbourg and Felix of the K-pop group Stray Kids, and fellow designers Phoebe Philo, Haider Ackermann, Julien Dossena and Bouchra Jarrar.
Pietro Beccari, chairman and chief executive officer of Vuitton, was in attendance, along with his predecessor Michael Burke, and a battalion of top LVMH executives.
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Wearing a sleek, lapel-less black suit whipped up by the Vuitton studio, Ghesquière also greeted such longtime collaborators as makeup artist Pat McGrath, hairstylist Duffy, model Liya Kebede and shoe mavens Pierre Hardy and Fabrizio Viti, who is head of women’s shoes at Vuitton since 2004.
Once seated, Macron opened his speech by explaining how, in 1854, a teenage Louis Vuitton famously hoofed it from the wooded Jura region of France to Paris, where he founded a packing and trunk-making business.
“Your journey also reads like a great coming-of-age novel,” said Macron, frequently turning his head to speak directly to Ghesquière, who stood to his right, hands folded in front of him. “By the age of eight, you were already sketching women’s silhouettes. At 10, your aunt looked over your shoulder and assured you: ‘Nicolas, what you’re drawing is fashion.’”
Ghesquière never stopped.
Known for his exacting, couture-like approach, and an experimental zeal rare among designers at Europe’s largest luxury brands, the Frenchman got his start in fashion by filing, photocopying and cataloguing fabrics at Jean Paul Gaultier.
He ultimately landed at Balenciaga, first designing lowly licensed lines, including office uniforms, bridal gowns and widows’ dresses for Japan.
But once promoted to the helm of Balenciaga’s main ready-to-wear line in 1997, Ghesquière quickly won acclaim for sculpted designs straddling futuristic and Parisian chic.
“This is where the coming-of-age story transformed into a fairy tale,” Macron recounted. “Over 16 years, you restored the house’s prestige and created iconic designs that are still highly sought after. Above all, you made a name for yourself and built a signature style.”
Ghesquière joined Vuitton in 2013, propelling the brand to greater heights with transporting fashion shows, a string of hit leather goods and an army of famous women wearing bespoke designs on red carpets globally. The luxury behemoth renewed his contract for another five years in November 2023.
“Your work reflects a convergence of diverse creative universes: sailors, robots, flowers, shepherds, the punk scene, theater and sportswear — an inexhaustible wellspring of inspiration,” Macron marveled, prompting another round of knowing chuckles.
Then, speaking more solemnly, Macron said: “You have championed the culture of the perfect gesture: repetition, learning and respect. I know how much your teams love working with you.
“Over the years you have earned the trust of so many women who are happy and proud to wear Ghesquière,” he continued. “I must say you have found a wonderful ambassador in my wife — thereby helping to showcase French craftsmanship to the entire world. I am well aware of the absolute trust she has placed in you from day one.
“I am happy this evening. It is the Republic itself that is adding a new element to your wardrobe,” Macron said before pinning on his jacket the Legion of Honor medallion with its distinctive red ribbon.
The civilian honor is awarded by the French state in recognition of contributions to culture and creative industries.
After a prolonged standing ovation, Brigitte Macron helped organize several historic photo ops, summoning luxury titan Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, his five children – Delphine, Antoine, Alexandre, Frédéric and Jean – and his wife, pianist Hélène Mercier-Arnault.
Guests lingered over cocktails, lauding Ghesquière’s formidable creative prowess, personal warmth and loyalty.
“He’s always been innovative and fiercely creative,” said Connelly, the longest-serving face for Ghesquière’s womenswear collections at Vuitton, having struck up a relationship with the designer during his previous tenure at Balenciaga. “But at the same time, I think what makes his designs so enduring is that they’re rooted in a sense of history and continuity…. He’s able to fuse together these disparate elements and make them so harmonious.”
“He’s been very consistent,” agreed Gainsbourg, who is closely associated with his Balenciaga years. “It was so modern, and he took risks.”
Felix, who walked the runway at Vuitton‘s fall 2024 show, said he connected instantly with Ghesquière, on creative and personal levels.
“Deep down, he’s very touching; he carries a lot of emotion,” Felix related. “Once you get to know him, he’s someone who’s always caring, very sweet and genuine…. Being with him has made me realize that I can learn so much from him.”
