The race for the oldest international sporting trophy is set to kick off this week. No, we’re not still reminiscing about the Olympics, we’re talking about the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup.
Dating back to 1851, the sailing competition remains one of the hardest sporting endeavors. This year, the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup will take place in Barcelona, with the final race on October 27 seeing two teams navigate around Port Vell and along the scenic coastline leading to Port Olympic.
After a three-year wait since the last edition was held in Auckland in 2021, over the next few weeks we will finally see which out of five challenger teams – INEOS Britannia (Great Britain), Alinghi Red Bull Racing (Switzerland), Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (Italy), NYYC American Magic (United States), and Orient Express Racing Team (France) – will take on the defender, Emirates Team New Zealand.
[See also: How LVMH Stamped Its Mark on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games]
To determine the challenger, the team must earn their place through a rigorous selection process for a place in the final race and the esteemed Louis Vuitton Cup. The winner will then take on the defending champion, Emirates Team New Zealand, in a 13-race match, where the first to score seven points wins.
By now, you may have noticed a certain French fashion house’s name has been mentioned more than once or twice. In keeping with its history as a luxury trunk maker and its association with high-level sporting events, Louis Vuitton has been an integral part of the America’s Cup as early as 1983, when it first sponsored the Challenger Cup. Almost four decades later, in addition to organizing the qualifying stages, this year the Maison is celebrating becoming the title partner of the globally prized sporting event, now called the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.
Related
[See also: Omega is Going for Gold at Paris 2024 – Here’s How]
To mark the occasion, Louis Vuitton has introduced a dedicated capsule collection ahead of the world’s premier sailing regatta. The collection for men and women includes ready-to-wear, bags and accessories that blend the house emblems with bold colors and nautical codes.
The looks are divided into three themes: Riding the Waves, which consists of more technical pieces like windbreakers with bright red, white and blue Damier check patterns; A Day on the Deck sees the house’s signature Damier and Monogram motifs reimagined in the style and colors of maritime signal flags; and Elegant Summer Evening, more suitable for the evening than on the waters, with items like plain black or white jersey crepe column dresses. Louis Vuitton has also developed its own logo which occurs throughout the collection, a graphic ‘V’ originally designed by Gaston-Louis Vuitton in the 1920s, framed by blocks of nautical colors.
Content from our partners
Going beyond just title sponsorship and luxury fashion, however, the so-called Louis Vuitton Cup is not just a name, but this year the Maison has also commissioned a brand-new trophy for the Challenger Selection Series. Crafted by renowned silversmith Thomas Lyte, the solid-silver cup is a masterpiece of traditional artistry, referencing the grandeur of past trophies while celebrating the pinnacle of contemporary design.
[See also: What’s Happening at Monterey Car Week 2024?]
Complementing this exquisite trophy is a bespoke trophy trunk, meticulously designed by Louis Vuitton to safely transport and display the prize. This trunk joins an elite lineage of cases crafted by the Maison which over the years has been entrusted with safeguarding some of the world’s most prestigious sporting trophies – a familiar sight to anyone who tuned into the Olympics coverage at the start of the summer.
For the America’s Cup, the artisans at Louis Vuitton took inspiration from the institutions’ shared values: excellence, tradition and continual innovation. Just as the cutting-edge yachts in the competition represent the height of nautical engineering, so too do Louis Vuitton’s Trophy Trunks symbolize the ultimate in design and craftsmanship. Whether it’s the sleek foils that allow the yachts to glide above the water or the finely crafted details of the Trophy Trunks, Louis Vuitton and the America’s Cup are united in their commitment to pushing the boundaries of performance while honoring a rich heritage of savoir-faire.
[See also: The Sparkliest Jewelry We Saw at Paris Couture Week]
