If the house of Louis Vuitton cultivates the art of travel » from 1854, Pharrell Williams instead decided to take the trunk home for his first exercise at the head of Louis Vuitton’s men’s collections. Presented on Tuesday 20 June 2023, its first parade is already establishing itself as the main event of this Fashion Week Parisian man, which takes place from 18 to 23 June. Impressive scenographies, deluge of stars, accumulation of bags, fashion references and already cult “Damouflage” print: a look back at 4 details to remember from Pharrell Williams’ Louis Vuitton spring-summer 2024 menswear show.
The scenography: a sunset on the Pont-Neuf
Right on the Pont-Neuf, at sunset, Pharrell Williams’ first Louis Vuitton show took place, which he dedicated to his recently deceased predecessor, Virgil Abloh. The memorandum of intent read as follows: “This moment is dedicated to the giant in front of me. To our brother in spirit. » To provide the soundtrack, there was a full gospel choir, Voices of Fire, notably singing the title “Joy (Unspeakable)” ft. Pharrell of course. Also played “Peace Be Still” by Pharrell Williams ft. Chains and Whips by Lang Lang and Clipse. We will also remember theThe passage of the golf pick-ups loaded with Louis Vuitton trunks which also paraded on the Pont-Neuf.
Guests as evidence of influence: Rihanna, Beyoncé, Zendaya…
Even before revealing his first collection, Pharrell Williams already enjoyed considerable popularity as a singer, producer emeritus, but also fashion stylist and now beauty designer. She was able to confirm his influence by presenting an early campaign image for her Louis Vuitton, embodied by Rihanna, pregnant and busy, on the go, unstoppable. The Barbadian singer was obviously in the front row (although she arrived late, and she had to move another guest…), accompanied by A$AP Rocky. Lewis Hamilton, Kim Kardashian, Jared Leto, Zendaya (face of Louis Vuitton women’s collections), Beyoncé (face of Tiffany & Co., jeweler now owned by LVMH) and Jay-Z, Jaden (former face of Vuitton) and Willow Smith were also part.
Bringing together so many personalities seems to be a demonstration of influence from Pharrell Williams and Louis Vuitton (owned by LVMH, therefore Bernard Arnault, also in the front row, next to Beyoncé), who have bet on him. Fashion lovers will also have noticed the presence in the front row of Nicolas Ghesquière (artistic director of the women’s collections of Louis Vuitton) and Stefano Pilati (artistic director of Saint Laurent from 2004 to 2012, previously at the direction of Ermenegildo Zegna until 2016, then he founded his own brand Random Identities in 2017) which he has really runway (look 48).
The first look of Louis Vuitton by Pharrell Williams that summarizes the entire collection
This first Louis Vuitton menswear collection by Pharrell Williams appeared on both men and women. The first look (the most important of a fashion show, because it gives impetus, and tends to be more retransmitted) was obviously a shorts suit, as Pharrell Williams loves to wear so much. Shirt, tie and blazer over shorts: just enough to give a serious and youthful look to the silhouette. Its easy-to-wear off-khaki hue lends a camouflage spirit that’s complemented by wellies with a checkerboard print of green-toned pixels as “Damouflage” (contraction of checkerboard and camouflage) on a lug sole. On the accessories side, a black beret in the spirit of the Black Panther Party, and above all a leather pochette with the LV logo in the form of a pure luxury reinterpretation of the banal paper bag completed the postponement of a sensitive and committed banker-adventurer.
The reason to remember: Damouflage
The artistic director thought of this collection as a love story between himself and fashion. Highlighted by the nods to past striking creations, such as his use of denim reminiscent of his work with designer Nigo (now Kenzo’s artistic director, he had co-founded the brands Billionnaire Boys Club and Ice Cream with Pharrell Williams who had a enduring impact on streetwear in the 2000s). His 52 look in the shape of a scarf-blanket recalls the one imagined by Kim Jones when he was artistic director of the men’s collections of Louis Vuitton, for his autumn-winter 2015-2016 collection (the famous cult plaid “Karakoram” which is still very much in popular today at exorbitant prices on second-hand sites). We also find the influence of Marc Jacobs, Virgil Abloh and a lot of Karl Lagerfeld in some silhouettes. If the emblematic bags of the house (including the Alma available in XXL to please its gentlemen) are worn in accumulation and in bright colors, it is above all the “Damouflage” print that we will mainly remember from this first Louis collection. Williams.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
