Over the weekend, the Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum played host to Louis Vuitton’s Cruise 2017 show. With the brand’s guests and muses in attendance, the show was set to be one of the highlights in the world of fashion. While the collection brought to life the French art of living to Brazil (and was the payoff of months of anticipation) it also paid tribute to two of Brazil’s major artists: Helio Oiticica and Aldemir Martins. 

Constructed 10 years ago, the museum’s corridors acted as the runway on which Nicolas Ghesquière’s creations were presented. The collection featured the lively and vibrant free spirit inspired by the city and its art with the help of various textures, materials and silhouettes. The laid back vibe was evident with the embroidered skirts that were wrapped around the model’s waists much like a beach towel. Trousers featured slashed stripes that helped to lengthen the body.

With the likes of Alicia Vikander, Adriana Lima and Jaden Smith in attendance, the influence of Oiticica and Martins was evident on the parkas and cape-dresses (lightness inspired by Oiticica) as well as the prints used in the collection (Martins’ work) on several Louis Vuitton classics. With bright colors dominating the collection, leather also had a strong presence in various forms.

“In Rio de Janeiro, what I saw most of all was movement and an explosive energy that lives somewhere between modernism and tropicality. I was fascinated by the constant duality between nature and urbanism and the pictorial explosion it creates” said Nicolas Ghesquière, creative director. He also added “ For me, the main question was how to incorporate into my collection all these elements that are part of Brazilian culture, without forgetting that I am just a visitor who brings his own Parisian and French cultural references to the moment.