RUNWAY: Louis Vuitton FW18

It's been a very busy week at Louis Vuitton headquarters in Paris. Not only was it Paris Fashion Week but it was announced that Kim Jones, the maison's men's style director, would be departing the storied French label and this FW18 collection would be his last. Whether or not the team knew of this departure long before or not, the symbolism of the circular runway was not lost. Jones, who has been with Vuitton for 7 years, has come full circle. He transformed the men's line into one of the most buzzed about collections every season and not just because it was Vuitton but because the clothes were cool.

If one has been following Jones' career at Vuitton, it is widely known that his collections are often inspired by his travels and his swan song was likely his most personal since many of the textural patterns seen are actual photographs he took while traveling; that landscape pattern on a trench? A photo Jones took while in a helicopter.

This collection was also the most rugged of his tenure. Though there was a suit or two to be seen, most of the collection was heavily influenced by rugged adventures from hiking to hunting. This isn't your grandfather's hiking boots or hunting gear, this is Louis Vuitton gear, the price of which is likely to be astronomical. There were some great accessories that are also sure to be a sell-out, like those camo-and-LV-monogram leggings or the sumptuous bags with Vuitton embossed on them. There were also some great and luxurious coats and shorts, done in Vicuna and cashmere, respectively. Just because they're rugged clothes, it doesn't mean it can't be expensive and luxurious.

...And finally there was that finale with two of the world's most famous models helping to close the show: Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss (Dominik Sadoch officially closed the show). Moss has given up modeling and instead focuses her energy and resources on her modeling agency but when your good friend Kim Jones calls asking for a favor to send him off into the sunset, you answer. The Vuitton trenches both supermodels wore are sure to be collectibles, as will the jumper Jones wore. It was a spectacular finale causing a raucous standing ovation for Jones whose next move has yet to be announced but our money is on the plum job at Burberry. The final bell of Jones' era at Vuitton has rung and what a final bell it was.