A FINE FROCK: Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of womenswear at Louis Vuitton, will make the uniform for Annie Leibovitz’s induction to the prestigious Académie des Beaux-Arts, whose lifetime members are known in France as Immortals.
In a ceremony scheduled for March 20, the U.S. photographer is set to join the ranks of foreign associate members of the French institution, alongside the likes of British architect Sir Norman Foster, U.S. director Woody Allen and German artist Georg Baselitz. She will fill the seat previously held by Chinese-born U.S. architect I.M. Pei.
Anna Wintour, global editorial director of Vogue and chief content officer of Condé Nast, is due to present Leibovitz with her ceremonial sword.
A sketch of Louis Vuitton designer Nicolas Ghesquière’s Académie des Beaux-Arts uniform for Annie Leibovitz.
Mélanie Rey/Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
Ghesquière’s custom-made design was inspired by the brocade frock coats of his spring 2018 collection, which he reprised on the runway last week at the show marking his 10th anniversary as creative director of the world’s biggest luxury brand.
The suit, made of black grain de poudre wool, consists of a high-collared, single-breasted tailcoat jacket, cigarette trousers and a white poplin blouse with a hand-pleated pussy-bow collar. The gilded hand embroidery represents the uniform’s traditional olive leaves.
“It’s a real honor to create the academician’s habit for Annie Leibovitz, paying tribute to her photographic work as a talented, free and visionary artist,” Ghesquière said in a statement.
The olive branch is a symbol of the academy, whose members include artist Jean-Michel Othoniel; director Jean-Jacques Annaud; painter Jean-Marc Bustamante; photographers Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Dominique Issermann and Sebastião Salgado; choreographer Blanca Li, and architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, among others.