It’s not that the Fall 2014 collection was bad, but we have to start somewhere and this collection was relatively unremarkable compared to some of the other chapters during Kim Jones’ stint at Vuitton.

Inspired by a trip to the world’s oldest and highest desert, the Atacama, the collection was marked by a muted, earthy palette, with the notable exception of a handful of vibrant cobalt blue pieces. There were, however, some memorable pieces from this offering, like the vest and jackets that took their cues from Patagonia’s Retro-X fleece and the sporty “speed shades” that were the precursor to a wider trend that emerged a year or so later and eventually morphed into “clout glasses.” In the grand scheme of Jones’ tenure at Vuitton, though, it was a collection that lacked a true stroke of genius.

Jones’ Spring 2015 collection was a perplexing one—one of his few that genuinely polarized critics and consumers. Dedicated to the legendary Louise Wilson—one of Jones’ professors from Central Saint Martins—the collection drew inspiration from India, with bright oranges, blues and pink, as well as aviation, with jumpsuits, bomber jackets, and plenty of ultra-thin nylon. As far as the palette is concerned, it may have been visually jarring for Western consumers, but the bright hues were certainly representative of India’s penchant for vibrant colors.

The collection had a decidedly ‘70s feel to it, with high-waisted pants, pinched or belted jackets and tailoring and a bevy of geometric prints. Lost amid the neon oranges and pinks, however, was the cool, relaxed tailoring that would became one of Jones’ trademarks over the next few seasons at Vuitton. So, while the collection was lacking standout pieces and won’t be remembered as one of the designer’s best offerings, it was consistent with Jones’ aesthetic for Vuitton.

It’s interesting to look back on Jones’ first few collections and contrast them to where he has since brought Vuitton. Fall 2012 was the London-born designer’s second season at the helm of the storied Parisian house and—while not quite as impressive as his debut collection—it was a wonderfully balanced approach to a younger Vuitton.

Much like his first collection, this Fall 2012 offering allowed Jones to explore travel, in this case Japan, while juxtaposing it with Western fashion. “It was a tale of two cities,” according to Jones—Tokyo and Paris—but also of two time periods, with conservative tailoring contrasting a silky kimono suit jacket, and reflective parkas the foil to more classical camel coats.

If anything, it felt like Jones was doing a bit of A/B testing with the collection to see whether or not he should follow his instinct or defer to a more traditional approach—it was played a bit closer to the vest than his debut offering, but there were still hints of the direction that the brand would eventually take under his guidance.

Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2013 collection was a crash course in Kim Jones’ vision for the brand’s menswear line. Jones infused a youthful exuberance into the offering, with neon detailing used to liven up bags, jackets, and form-fitting cashmere knits that mimicked wetsuits in a maritime-inspired collection. At the same time, the tailoring was relaxed, but also exuded a certain class thanks to the prevalence of double-breasted jackets.

All-in-all it was representative of the shift taking place at Vuitton, where a designer with strong street influences was tasked with growing a luxury leather goods company’s menswear segment. The handful of boro pieces Jones incorporated into the collection typified the duality on show throughout his time at Vuitton. Contrasting boro—historically a fabrication commonly associated with Japanese peasantry (patched up for practical and fiscal reasons, regardless of aesthetics)—against the bright, clean textiles found throughout the rest of the collection served as an early indicator of Jones’ ability to combine “high” and “low” fashion from a variety of different national definitions.

It was always going to be difficult to follow the most talked about Louis Vuitton menswear collection ever, but Jones’ Spring 2018 collection did a pretty decent job. You’ll recall that Jones tapped Drake to create a song for the occasion, which was our first hint—post-Supreme collab—that Louis Vuitton wouldn’t be letting off the gas in its pursuit of a younger demographic.

This penultimate Jones-designed collection was inspired by “island hopping” and filled with a mix of vibrant tropical prints, lightweight fabrics, and some decidedly sporty branding that appeared to take its cues from the late-’90s and early-’00s—and action sports brands like Oakley. The tailoring was cut loosely, the outerwear was drapey and the shirting elongated, but Jones also mixed in some more form-fitting pieces.

The collection, as a whole, was a continuation of Jones’ infusion of a younger, more street-conscious aesthetic into the Vuitton maison. It was on trend in terms of the maximalism currently dominating both fashion and streetwear, and the floral-heavy Hawaiian shirts may very well become some of the most memorable pieces from Jones’ time at Louis Vuitton.

That Jones never relied on the LV monogram as a design crutch is a testament to his acumen as a veritable menswear savant. That being said, notwithstanding the Supreme collaboration, Spring 2017 included arguably his best work with the interlocked consonants. First, there were the cream-colored silk shirts emblazoned with an outlined monogram and ever-so-subtle cartoonish illustrations of African animals](https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2017-menswear/louis-vuitton/slideshow/details#24) that perfectly represented Jones’ relaxed but well-travelled approach to Vuitton. The transparent topcoats, covered with the same animal-infused monogram, showcased Jones’ playful approach to the brand’s storied history, while balancing travel, traditional luxury and a desire to infuse a punkish aesthetic. The illustrations, it should be noted, were produced by the Chapman brothers—whom Jones had first worked with back in 2013—and also featured on a series of bags.

The balance of the Spring 2017 offering was largely inspired by Jones’ native London and the influential punk fashions that emerged from the British capital. The textured mohair knits seemed drawn from a Hedi Slimane-designed Saint Laurent collection, while the tartan suits and bondage-strapped pants were equally jarring when compared to the rest of Jones’ stint at Louis Vuitton. It was edgy and unexpected, but Jones still found a way to make it work for the maison, outfitting the pieces with fastenings usually reserved for leather bags and trunks—punk à la Louis Vuitton.

This may have been an early indicator to what Jones’ last collection at Vuitton would look like, with a darker palette and distressed fabrics giving the collection a dystopian feel and hints of the patchworked, utilitarian and tech-minded outerwear that would grace the Fall 2018 offering.

This collection, though, was inspired by the house’s own heritage and the city in which it is headquartered: Paris. Part of what made the collection memorable was the “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez” all-over print pieces, which would inform and intersect with the Louis Vuitton retrospective exhibit that would itself travel the world in 2017. But the “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez” pieces were not the only ones to feature all-over print. There were large geometric Art Deco-inspired patterns on scarves, knits and jackets, seemingly abstract lines forming faces on silk shirts and painted (but distressed) jackets, pants and shirts—a nod to the beauty that emerges with aging and use. It’s impression that’s quite appropriate given that Jones titled the collection “Future Heritage.”

Jones’ Spring 2014 Vuitton collection was a luxurious, sweeping take on Americana, both geographically and historically. There was navy madras suiting—a reference to preppy summers on the East Coast—and a hyper-luxe take on tie-dye that was closer to a work of art than a hastily hand-dyed hippy T-shirt. Elsewhere, American classics, like denim and varsity jackets, were fashioned from snuff suede and silk (respectively) and the Vuitton footwear drew its inspiration from Red Wing work boots and Jack Purcell sneakers.

The iconic pieces from this collection, though, were Jones’ takes on military-surplus style scout jackets, with Vuitton pennants sewn onto the garments and crocodile skin collars and elbow patches. It was emblematic of Jones’ ability to add a touch of luxury to pieces that were relatable for consumers. The Spring 2014 collection also included anoraks and casual shirting patched together with blue bandanas—an American staple, which also appeared as an accessory to be paired with suiting—and a glittering LV-monogrammed tuxedo jacket that was Jones’ vision for the ultimate prom outfit.

While still not entirely up to par with Jones’ greatest work at Vuitton, it was an offering that represented his ethos while at the house: make Louis Vuitton easily wearable again…price notwithstanding.

Louis Vuitton Spring 2016 was a hit from the moment that it first debuted, with silky jackets and shirts adorned with Asian-inspired embroideries that were a nod to the migration of ideas between East and West. Moreover, Jones looked to Thailand’s Lahu tribe for inspiration, fascinated by the similarities between their traditional dress and contemporary sportswear. Jones’ use of red, blue and oversized embroideries made the collection impossible to miss, but as it started to hit Vuitton stores, it became apparent that it was more than just visually striking, it offered a masterclass in textiles.

Jones crafted jackets from indigo-dyed Kobe leather; a leather so luxurious, the cows are massaged with sake as they age and their hides sun-dried before being fashioned into garments. In keeping with the theme, jeans were made from indigo-dyed silk, rather than denim. Visually, the collection was representative of Westernized Asia thanks to recognizable souvenir jackets, but the fabrics were a reversal of sorts: Eastern-inspired takes on fabrics popular in the West.

To be fair, Kim Jones probably ranks the Fall 2015 collection higher on his list of achievements while helming Vuitton menswear. It may even take the top spot on his list. That’s because it was an ode to the late Christopher Nemeth, a British designer who Jones looked at with aspirational awe and who “mixed Savile Row and the street [in a way that] anticipated Jones' own aesthetic,” per Tim Blanks.

Jones worked with Nemeth’s family and friends, unearthing a series of prints from the designer’s archives that were applied to a broad range of garments. The result was instantly recognizable and mesmerizing, owing not only Nemeth’s designs, but also to the fact that Jones integrated the prints in unique ways ranging from laser-etching to cork embroideries (who even knew that was possible until this collection?).

On the whole, this is the one Jones-helmed collection most likely to be considered an archival work of art further down the road, fondly recalled as a defining offering of his time at Vuitton—alongside Fall 2017, which, well...more on that later.

The Fall 2013 collection saw Jones turn towards the Himalayas and the tiny, landlocked kingdom of Bhutan. As a whole, this offering bordered on hyperbolic luxury: containing cufflinks and other shirting accoutrements fashioned from stones from Mount Everest, reindeer leather puffer jackets and leather coats made from single hides—a staple of Vuitton’s bags which had yet to be applied to menswear.

More noteworthy than the luxurious and rare elements that went into each piece, however, was Jones’ collaboration with the Jake and Dinos Chapman on a range of Himalayan-inspired prints that were true to Bhutan, but also to Louis Vuitton. The snow leopard—an animal beloved by Kim Jones—figured prominently in the collection, with a comical illustration adorning a sweater and it’s spots recreated ingeniously on a mink-lined cashmere coat, needle-punched to mimic the animal’s natural camouflage. But, the collection will be most remembered for the silk tuxedos, robes and pajamas covered in a Bhutanese floral print—created by the Chapman brothers and featuring Himalayan fauna and flora.

Perhaps overlooked amid the eye-catching nature of the collection, is the fact that this was Jones’ first foray into collaborations at Vuitton. Marc Jacobs had developed a collaborative streak in the womenswear studio, but Jones would eventually make collaboration a hallmark of his time at the house, thanks to his work with the Chapmans, the estate of Christopher Nemeth, and, of course, Supreme.

Jones’ final collection at the helm of Louis Vuitton was, like the rest of his body of work, inspired by travel. This time, it was a luxurious take on an unlikely pairing—the Wyoming rodeo and the North African countryside. With references to Jones’ personal travels, the themes made this last collection deeply personal.

First, there was the use of aerial photography, taken by Jones’ and a friend while flying over Kenya in 2017, to create dystopian-esque prints that featured on garments throughout the collection. Then, came the pieces inspired by a rodeo in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, of all places: cashmere sweatshorts layered over monogrammed tights, a leather jacket embroidered with flowers, and the monogrammed patent leather suit. The pieces were drawing on a blend of references found at the rodeo including the flank men, the cowboy boots and denim tuxedos.

But for all of the similarities to his established modus operandi, what made this last Jones-designed Louis Vuitton collection special was the appearance of a darker aesthetic, mixed with an emphasis on tech and functionality. Jackets were made from metallic threads (à la Stone Island) with detachable linings; taped seams divided different shades of Louis Vuitton’s brown and beige palette; many of the jackets were, in fact, reversible, with one side revealing ultra luxurious fabrications (see: vicuña) and the other the aforementioned hyper-technical taped seams and tan patchwork.

And, like all great collections, there were a few surefire grails. The most evident of them was the beige cashmere monogrammed sweater, bearing a giant peace sign and the words “peace and love.” In Jones’ own words, “[it] was a nice way to leave.”

It must be quite a daunting task to sit down and try to inject even the smallest part of one’s identity into a brand like Louis Vuitton, but to say that Kim Jones’ tenure at the Parisian house started with a bang would be an understatement. Jones quickly discovered that he and the brand who’s menswear he was charged with guiding were, as Tim Blanks aptly put it, both “defined by the nomadic spirit.”

Drawing inspiration from a Masai blanket he keeps as a souvenir from his time in Kenya, Jones’ models paraded down the runway in an eye-catching—and unforgettable—blue and red shuka-turned-damier check that graced scarves, shirts, shorts and sweaters in the middle of an otherwise earthy show. But the outerwear in Jones’ debut collection also drew on a spirit of travel—albeit with a more “traditional” bend: a belted tan Harrington jacket, quilted aviation jackets and a liberal use of pockets across the offering recall mid-century travel gear. Even the pajama-inspired, pinstriped silk pants and jackets were a nod to the need for comfort across the entire wardrobe when travelling.

Perhaps the biggest indicator of the youthful shift Jones envisaged was the use of Gaston-Louis Vuitton’s geometric V on the front of a varsity jacket and across the back of a white leather jacket. Even though the design was decades old, Jones had presented it in a way that was refreshing and youthful. In a way, that mirrors exactly what he was able to do with Louis Vuitton’s menswear.

Perhaps better known as “the season where Louis Vuitton collaborated with Supreme,” this collection has, somehow, been under-appreciated, despite ranking among the most-talked about offerings of all-time. Let’s get the importance of the collaboration out of the way: this was Kim Jones’ ultimate power move, meshing streetwear and fashion in a way that will never be equaled. It created an unparalleled amount of hype around the Louis Vuitton brand and also buried the hatchet with a brand that had been accused of copyright infringement in the past.

Unfortunately, the co-branded pieces distracted from Jones’ true masterstroke of casual tailoring, draping knits and elegant outerwear that represented his unique mix of street and luxury. After all, here is a designer who went from Umbro and Pastelle to Dunhill and Louis Vuitton. The collection referenced New York in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, a “time when anyone from anywhere went out and mixed together in clubs,” Jones explained, adding “it was looking at the uptown-downtown social mix, which was so important [but] seems to be crumbling now.” That is where the collaboration with Supreme finds its roots: it is a brand that has appeal on both ends of the fashion spectrum. So, for all the talk about how it was a move to generate quick hype, it was actually a collaboration rooted around a deeper statement about social classes in New York.

This collection will forever be remembered for the Monogram-meets-Box Logo marriage, but, to not realize that it represented—on a larger scale, the culmination of Louis Vuitton’s transformation under Kim Jones—would be disingenuous. It helped usher in an era of casual luxury and relaxed tailoring that is now pervasive across the industry. It’s hard to say that Jones’ work single-handedly made that shift of course, but when a brand as big as Louis Vuitton makes a move on a trend, you can expect that to translate as far and wide as its luggage does. As Vogue’s Sarah Mower put it at the time, “looser trousers and bigger silhouettes [had] been around for a bit; here they just stepped over the finishing line into the zone of cross-generational normality,” with Kim Jones as the catalyst.