Come Fly With Me

Nicolas Ghesquière’s LATEST CRUISE COLLECTION FOR LOUIS VUITTON TAPS INTO THE GLAMOUR OF THE JET SET BY TRAVELLING BACK TO THE FUTURE. PREPARE FOR TAKE-OFF

- Generva Leek

WITH THE EXCEPTION of the Hadid sisters and their flawless flight wardrobes, in 2019 it’s hard to believe there was ever a glamorous, golden age of travel. Nowadays, it’s all sweatpants, security checks and salty crowds. But back in the ’60s, the Jet Age, fuelled by new jet airliners that were able to fly much higher, faster and farther than their predecessors, saw transcontinental and intercontinental travel become considerably easier and more affordable. And infinitely more chic. Think gloved stewardesses in custom-made micro uniforms and movie-star pilots in the style of Catch Me If You Can.

The shining beacon of mid-century travel: New York’s TWA Flight Center, designed by Eero Saarinen in 1962 and heralded as “a modern marvel that will impress generations to come”. They weren’t wrong. Fast-forward to May this year and the architectural masterpiece, perched like a vast bird at JFK Airport, was impressing a whole new generation of people at Nicolas Ghesquière’s cruise 2020 presentation for Louis Vuitton. The terminal closed almost 20 years ago, but after a huge renovation has been transformed into a hotel, and the fashion show made for its unofficial unveiling. Safe to say, there was not a tracksuit in sight.