INSPIRATION Marchesa Luisa Casati in Paul Poiret 1920… Louis Vuitton SS||2014

Marc Jacobs' final collection for Louis Vuitton SS||2014, inspired by the early 20th century jet set culture, had a very strong 1920s showgirl leitmotif. One of the iconic moments of the show was when model Edie Campbell made her runway circuit in handcuffs and chains, as photographed here in one of the catwalk settings: the black fountain [left]. How could this not recall another iconic image from the twenties: Marchesa Luisa Casati posing for a picture wearing a fountain dress designed by couturier Paul Poiret [right]. The Italian heiress, celebrity and femme fatale was the most scandalous woman of her day and the the marchesa’s famous eccentricities dominated and delighted European society for nearly three decades.