The first time Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s creative director, visited New York, he stayed downtown at a friend’s loft on Lafayette Street in SoHo, a neighborhood that was just starting to change. “It really shocked me to see that you could live in those cool buildings and apartments,” he tells Nicole Phelps on this week’s episode of The Run-Through. “It was pretty much the opposite of Paris, in a way.” Later during that same trip, he remembers exploring uptown and admiring Central Park, which immediately reminded him of classic movies. “I don’t think that feeling ever really goes away, honestly,” he said, “when you first visit New York and discover how rich the city is.”

Ghesquière is back in New York now, having presented his resort 2027 collection for Louis Vuitton in the garden of The Frick Collection—a Gilded Age mansion turned museum. The house has just signed on as the museum’s principal cultural sponsor for three years. Fittingly, the collection explores his early memories of the city. “I was really interested in exploring the downtown and uptown contrast again—the clash, the harmony,” he said. “Where’s the cultural line between those people?” People like the late Keith Haring, for example—the brand has been hinting at inspiration from the famous graffiti artist on its social media.

More than a decade into his role at Vuitton, and after a groundbreaking run at Balenciaga, Ghesquière isn’t afraid to embrace the strange and challenging on the runway. His work is rich and thought-provoking, blending everyday life with the avant-garde. As he told Phelps during his last appearance on the podcast: “Fashion needs aesthetic danger.” He remains committed to pushing the limits of what fashion can be, especially for one of the world’s biggest luxury brands.

In this episode, the designer talks about how he approaches creating resort collections for today’s world, his relationships with house muses like Emma Stone, Jennifer Connelly, and new addition gold medalist Alysa Liu, his life in Los Angeles and why it’s “such a weird place,” and the advice Jean Paul Gaultier once gave him. Listen in.

Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the podcast with Nicolas Ghesquire

Beginner Questions

1 Who is Nicolas Ghesquire
He is a famous French fashion designer most known for his work as the creative director of Louis Vuittons womens collections and for his earlier work at Balenciaga

2 Why does he talk about the women he collaborates with
He believes his work is a dialogue He isnt just designing for women he is inspired by their intelligence strength and unique perspectives He sees his female collaborators as true partners in the creative process

3 What was the advice Jean Paul Gaultier gave him
Gaultier told him to always stay true to his own vision and not to be afraid of taking risks He emphasized that having a strong personal point of view is more important than following trends

4 Why does Nicolas Ghesquire still like New York City
He finds New Yorks energy and constant state of change addictive He loves that its a city that is always rebuilding and reinventing itself which mirrors his own creative process

Advanced Questions

5 Can you give a specific example of a female collaborator he mentions
While the podcast covers many he often highlights the actress and filmmaker Charlotte Gainsbourg He values their longterm collaboration because she brings a natural intellectual and androgynous edge to his very structured designs

6 How did Gaultiers advice actually impact Ghesquires career
It gave him the confidence to completely redefine Balenciaga in the late 1990s Instead of just copying the founders archive he took huge risks by introducing futuristic minimalist shapeswhich ultimately saved the brand and made his name

7 What is the problem Ghesquire solves by going to New York
He solves the problem of creative stagnation He says that staying in one place can make a designer feel safe but bored New Yorks chaotic fastpaced environment forces him to react quickly and stay sharp

8 How does his view of New York differ from a tourists view
A tourist sees landmarks Ghesquire sees a laboratory for ideas He is drawn to the construction sites the old buildings being torn down and the street