Heading to Kyoto, Japan for the Louis Vuitton Resort 2018 fashion show by Nicolas Ghesquière, the Maison has long enjoyed a unique and steadfast relationship with the country, founded on the principles of tradition and modernity.

For the fourth Resort 2018 collection under the designer, Louis Vuitton chose the Miho Museum designed by I.M. Pei, the architect of the Grand Louvre and its pyramids in Paris.

Nestled in a hidden valley, the museum is revealed through a spectacular metal tunnel and a futuristic suspension bridge. This unique home to more than a thousand works of art, blends exoticism with modernity, while steeped in the most luscious forest.

“After the desert and Palm Springs, the ocean and Rio, I wanted to introduce people to another landscape, to immerse them in a sea of green” explains Nicolas Ghesquière, Artistic Director of Women’s Collections at Louis Vuitton.

Modern and traditional…Western and Oriental…the clothes evoke the question of evolution. The pieces recall the samurai with figurative engraving, ceremonial dress, martial arts uniforms, the dramaturgy of Kurosawa films or the distinctive melancholy of Kitano’s movies.

Pantsuits and architectural tunics feature designs inspired by the paintings of Kokusai. Interwoven jersey and leather sweaters call to mind the armor of Japanese warriors. Japanese cultural references include evening dresses gleaming with Noh theater gold, while handbags and clutches are decorated with Kabuki masks.

Longtime Louis Vuitton muses Jennifer Connelly and Michelle Williams sat front row alongside stars-on-the-rise Sophie Turner and Riley Keough.