After 7 years at the fore of Louis Vuitton Men's artistic direction, Kim Jones' decision to step down was an extreme shock to fans. Indubitably, with one show left in the pipeline at the time of Jones' announcement, this show was due to be the pièce de résistance of Jones' time at Louis Vuitton. The grand palais in Paris was the location for Jones' presentation of Louis Vuitton's FW18 collection at Paris Fashion Week, and extravaganza may be an understatement.
Big names in attendance were not lacking; the Beckham clan were sat front row, with David paying homage to Jones backstage: “He always does a fantastic collection – and it’s emotional that it’s his last. He’s a good friend and I love his work.” Footballer Neymar was also present, as were big names in the fashion world, e.g. Grace Wales Bonner, Charles Jeffrey and many more.
Jones' employed the talents of iconic supermodels Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, both of them ripping the runway donning matching monogrammed coats and lace-up boots. They not only brought energy but shifted energy from Jones' himself who was reportedly emotional and had "choked up" backstage. The show closed with three icons walking off hand in hand, in the form of Campbell, Jones, and Moss.
Jones' next steps are yet unconfirmed, but there is speculation that Burberry is the most likely direction. Versace seem to be in the market also. Neither brand made comment on these rumours, and neither did Jones' himself.