The pageantry and drama of the papacy is very much on trend. Hot on the heels of white smoke at the Vatican and Conclave in cinemas, the gothic Palais des Papes in Avignon, home to the popes of the 14th century, hosted a Louis Vuitton catwalk, the first fashion show at the palace in its 700-year history.

There was no shortage of pomp and ceremony in the central courtyard of one of Europe’s largest medieval structures, where 400 chairs with tall, arched backs and plush, cardinal-red cushions were ranked tightly for Brigitte Macron, Cate Blanchett, Pharrell Williams, a clutch of celebrities making a post-Cannes detour, and a select few of Louis Vuitton’s most deep-pocketed clients.

In a preview, the designer Nicolas Ghesquière said the collection was part-Arthurian legend, part-Haim sisters on stage. (Danielle and Este Haim were in the audience; the medieval ghosts perhaps watching from within the walls.) “There is something medieval, for sure, but something futuristic too. This is armour, but for now,” he said.

Ghesquière chose the building last year, drawn not by its papal origins but by his own memories of attending the experimental theatre festival it hosts each summer. “Dressing is a performance that we are all part of. I love that about fashion, I think it’s really cool,” he said.

That the papacy has been so visible this year is fitting for a designer whose nose for the zeitgeist has secured an impressive 11-year run at the helm of Vuitton. “The coincidence is interesting, of course. And there is a magnetism to this place, to the idea of believing,” he said.

The venue also reflects the scale of Louis Vuitton. It is the biggest fashion brand in the LVMH stable, which generated $88bn (£65bn) in revenue in 2024. Filling a gothic palace with celebrities is a power flex the 14th-century popes for whom it was built would have respected.

Ghesquière understands that luxury has become a vast industry, not because people want to be seen to have an expensive handbag, but because they want to be seen to have status, taste and class, all of which are signalled by taking over the Unesco-listed Palais des Papes. Louis Vuitton will finance a new architectural lighting project to spotlight the facade after dark.

Most of the looks were short tunic dresses worn with slouchy boots, a silhouette that was signalling both heraldic knight and Glastonbury. For evening there were glittering metallic jersey gowns with bishop sleeves: a bit Joan of Arc, a bit Janis Joplin.

Ghesquière, who has stayed at the top of the game during two decades when fashion has grown from being a niche interest to a billion-dollar business, has a way of making esoteric historical and futuristic references look entirely contemporary. His job, he says, is “to stimulate the eye. If you want to create a classic, first you have to make something new.”

Ghesquière, who is contracted to Louis Vuitton until 2028, stands out as a beacon of stability in an industry in flux. Calm and smiling even minutes before the show, he said he was looking forward to the next Paris fashion week, which will be packed with designer debuts. “October will be really exciting. Fashion is exploding. Fashion should always be about change,” he said.