Nicolas Ghesquière takes us into the future for Louis Vuitton show in Paris

In silk slip dresses, breezy vented tunics and gossamer layers of chiffon, the models on Louis Vuitton’s catwalk were perfectly dressed for an unseasonably warm October evening in Paris. As the show began at sunset it was still 24C.

This summer’s record temperatures were on designer Nicolas Ghesquiière’s mind. “The world is getting warmer, this definitely had a strong influence” he said.

The show was staged in an inner courtyard of the Louvre, the catwalk illuminated by the tail lights of a fleet of 34 flying cars in Vuitton’s signature Damier check raised on stilts above the catwalk.

The contrast between the futuristic set and the historic buildings was an elegant echo of the centrepiece of the Louvre, where IM Pei’s glass pyramid stands amid the French classical architecture.

The future is always on Ghesquière’s mind – his science fiction bent showed up in the models’ beaded silver fringes that were somewhere between space-age hair extensions and sun visors – and this season, he was thinking about life in the cities of the future, his models as pedestrians among flying cars. “I was thinking about a woman walking through traffic, and how in the urban environment we sometimes feel vulnerable and sometimes feel strong.”

The featherlight fabrics and free-floating silhouettes were a departure from the angular, ornate looks which are his signature. “I am a specialist in a kind of fashion that is like armour, fashion with strong architecture, but this summer I think we all felt like we needed a different wardrobe. The world is getting warmer. We need to think differently, for clothes to be relevant today and in the future.”

Zendaya wore a ruffled organza jacket last seen on her Odyssey press tour and the Rivals actor Bella Maclean was in sleek black tailoring. Ghesquière took his bow casually dressed in jeans – but then, the show was only his second most important moment of Paris fashion week. Louis Vuitton is the flagship brand of luxury giant LVMH, which contributes about 1% to French GDP, placing it close to the core of economic and cultural power in Paris.

On Friday Ghesquière, who has led Vuitton for a decade, was knighted by President Emmanuel Macron for his contribution to French creative industries, at a ceremony at the Élysée Palace.

The first lady, Brigitte Macron, has a longstanding close collaboration with Ghesquière, attending his shows and wearing custom looks for state occasions. President Macron began his speech joking that “it feels strange to be decorating someone tonight who is used to looking at my wife from every angle … she just told me you are the second man in her life.”

Guests at the ceremony reflected the broad reach of Louis Vuitton, with Catherine Deneuve and the British designer Phoebe Philo alongside K-pop star Felix of Stray Kids. Ghesquière wore a striking double-breasted Louis Vuitton black suit, with a single button fastening and no lapel. Pinning the red ribboned medallion to his chest, Macron said: “This evening … it is the Republic itself that is adding a new element to your wardrobe.”