Nicolas Ghesquière & Company By Jean-Paul Goude In 'Showtime' For Elle UK February 2015

Elle UK’s ‘Showtime’ recreates Louis Vuitton Creative Director and Designer Nicolas Ghesquière’s first anniversary show for the world’s largest luxury brand. Lensed by Ghesquiere’s idol and creative influence Jean-Paul Goude, models Ghesquière, Amalie Schmidt, Elodie, Angel, Emilie Fouilloux, Daphne Simons, Magdalena Jasek, Mae Lapres, Emmy Rappe, Mica Arganaraz, and Sora Choi are styled in Louis Vuitton by Anne-Marie Curtis. Paul Hanlon is on hair with Dunja Schultze on makeup for this rockin’ celebration of Ghesquiere’s first year anniversary at Louis Vuitton. The full interview follows images, with key points highlighted by us.

Nicolas Ghesquière on Jean-Paul Goude:

He forged my sense of aesthetics as a teenager, he’s an integral part of who I am. I traced his illustrations when I was a kid. So it’s a dream come true that our visions and personalities have become one. It’s truly a gift.

Nicolas Ghesquière on his Vuitton mission:

At Vuitton, I want my work to seem like an ‘obvious’ wardrobe, to come across as a familiar closet to which I can add a very fashionable statement … I have a clear-cut objective: to gain recognition and break new ground, develop a certain personality and remain faithful to it.

Nicolas Ghesquière on founder Louis Vuitton:

I’m very attuned to the personality of Louis Vuitton who, like me, was self-taught. His creativity grew out of efforts to improve his trunks. This young man put his imagination to work making his luggage more functional, with an instinctive drive to innovate. His vision is unique and his solutions reflect a creative model that I find inspiring and touching. That, for me, is the key to a timeless look: answering a question.

Nicolas Ghesquière on the Holy Grail he is chasing:

The solution is style and creativity. I’m convinced of that. You can be very good at merchandising; I’m not even sure what they call it now — ‘crossover products’ or something like that. But for it to work, to create a bestseller, you need to be sincere and honest. Each piece of clothing and each accessory expresses our values of innovation and tradition. Once these qualities are identified, our message will come across quite clearly. A good idea generates good business.