Pharrell Makes His Mark at Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton kicked off men's Paris Fashion Week with its first collection by Pharrell Williams, appointed on Valentine's Day 2023 to succeed the late Virgil Abloh. The show was the most highly anticipated fashion event of the season, and it offered a peek at the future of the luxury fashion house.

Set in the heart of Paris on the Pont Neuf overlooking the Seine, the show began with a model emerging through a live orchestra in a boxy, neutral-colored suit jacket with tailored shorts. The look was a simplified prelude to outfits that grew increasingly varied and complex throughout the show, though always remaining within the realm of wearability. Sharply tailored garments contrasted baggier, more relaxed items. Pearls (very Pharrell) contrasted militant chains. But more than anything, the collection's focus was on reimagining the house's iconic Damier print, which Williams hinted at in pre-show interviews — as well as in his first Louis Vuitton campaign starring Rihanna, revealed last Thursday.

"I knew that I wanted to really lean into the Damier, something that hadn't had such a great concentration in it, and we did so by using the Damier as a platform and as a new artistic discipline, and we have some really interesting expressions," Williams told WWD.

Louis Vuitton's Damier print is one of the house's signature codes, usually rendered in a monochromatic brown-tan or black-grey combination. Williams took it in a whole new direction, following in his predecessor's footsteps: Abloh debuted pixelated-looking Damier prints in 2018, but Williams took the baton and explored the idea further, from bags to apparel. His renditions on pixelated Damier for Spring 2024 include camouflage, contrasted taxicab-yellow patterns and distressed three-dimensional patterns. Damier squares even covered the bridge-turned-catwalk.

Bags were also a focal point of the show (and that Rihanna campaign, in which she's carrying several), ranging from small crossbody bags to large duffels and even massive trunks that literally had to be driven down the runway. Rather than using the brand's popular monogram canvas, he opted for Louis Vuitton's signature epi leather. Previously an ambassador for Chanel's Gabrielle bag, Williams said in the same WWD interview, "I knew I wanted to make my presence known in bags."

Other memorable design elements seen throughout the collection: "LV Lovers" graphics on jackets and hats; newsboy caps; round eyewear; and shoes with exaggerated visible footprints and other designs on the soles.

A gospel choir emerged to close the show, and their hymns didn't just make the runway feel jubilant, but it also recalled a Black funeral, or homegoing, where there is intentionally room for grief and room for joy. Wearing white robes featuring the collection's ubiquitous pixelated print, the choir helped to usher in a new era for the French fashion house while also paying respect to Abloh.

"The last word doesn't come from the doctor / Who's the world that the doctor comes out of? / Just keep praying beyond the last hour / Now you've witnessed the procedure of power," they sang.

Williams already has a prolific career as a creative across music and fashion, including his Billionaire Boys Club line with Japanese artist Nigo and creative work at Chanel. There's no question that he's brought all aspects of this background to Louis Vuitton menswear, as intended. We can surmise that, with a creative like him at the helm, there won't necessarily be an emphasis on the intricacies of apparel design. There will be statement accessories, clever graphics, recognizable motifs, lots of star power, music and performance. It's all about the holistic experience, which he proved at his debut.

At the end of the show, a teary Williams thanked the crowd with Paris glittering in the background. A standing ovation lasted until he took a second walk with what appeared to be his entire design team, celebrities like Rihanna, Zendaya, Beyoncé and Jay-Z applauding from the front row.

Scroll on to see every look from the Spring 2024 menswear collection for Louis Vuitton.

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