Pharrell Williams's star-studded Louis Vuitton show in Paris is worth the wait

The Guardian

3 days ago

When fashion insiders received notice on Tuesday afternoon that Pharrell Williams's Louis Vuitton show at Paris fashion week would be rescheduled to 9pm, there were collective sighs of annoyance.
But all was forgiven when they arrived at the space behind the Pompidou Centre to be told that Beyoncé and Jay-Z would be attending. The star and her husband, and nephew Julez Smith, joined what was already a starry front row - which included Omar Sy, Steve McQueen, PinkPantheress, Spike Lee, Emile Smith Rowe and Victor Wembanyama.
Even without a megastar, the show was worth the wait. Williams took over as creative director of menswear in June 2023 and his spring-summer 2026 collection was his best yet – with louche retro tailoring and unusual combinations such as cargo pants and a shrunken sweater.
The collection excelled when performing one of luxury's current favourite tricks - making premium versions of everyday items. Here, that included a striped polo shirt, and a boxy work shirt and chinos. This look, worn with a ribbed vest, is likely to be copied by those who like fashion but lack Louis Vuitton budgets.
Entitled Paris to India, Williams was inspired by what the press release called 'the multifaceted sensibilities of present-day Indian sartorialism'. In practice, the influence of India's aesthetics could be seen most clearly in ornate decoration on the trunks some models wheeled down the runway.
The set of the show was created by Bijoy Jain, the founder of architects Studio Mumbai. A giant rendering of snakes and ladders – an Indian game that dates to the second century – was hand-painted on the catwalk. A track called Yaara Punjabi, co-produced by the Indian composer AR Rahman, featured on the soundtrack played by a live orchestra.
If collaboration with Indian creatives gave voice to the culture that provided inspiration to a collection by a European megabrand, there were also some slightly more reductive tropes, as with the embroidered exotic animals. These made use of imagery originally created by Louis Vuitton in 2007 for Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited, a film set in India but remaining, as critic Ellen E Jones wrote last year, a 'whimsically white nostalgia-world'. However, items such as striped ties were a nod to India's beloved cricket, while a trekking-adjacent backpack with camping roll felt more playful and relevant to now.
The strength of this collection shows that Williams's point of view is now coming through more in his work at Louis Vuitton. For autumn-winter 2025, he collaborated with his longtime friend Nigo, who founded the streetwear brand A Bathing Ape. His skateboarding past is evident in the fact that the skater Tyshawn Jones is a Louis Vuitton ambassador and the brand's new Tilted trainer is being compared to classic Vans.
Williams has consistently brought his famous friends and star power. He was co-chair of the Metropolitan Museum's Superfine exhibition, which celebrated Black style and was part-sponsored by Louis Vuitton. He dressed celebrities attending the Met Gala, including Doechii, Future, Sabrina Carpenter and Jeremy Allen White.
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Not all of Williams's work here was celebrated. The symbolism of a LV monogram on Doechii's cheek was criticised by some online. 'LOVE me some Doechii … I'm absolutely not into this European logo 'branded' on her skin for a night celebrating the labor and ingenuity of Black culture and Black men,' wrote a Threads user.
This is not the first time Williams has faced some backlash at Louis Vuitton, a $1m (£734,705) bag made from crocodile skin was described as 'an insensitive declaration of global north privilege' by the fashion commentator Caryn Franklin in 2023, while his continued use of fur prompted a Peta protester at the premiere of his animated film Piece by Piece in 2024.
Louis Vuitton's parent company, LVMH, reported that revenue in the group's fashion and leather goods divisions fell by 11% and 3% respectively in the first quarter of 2025. Even with these skirmishes of controversy, the brand will be hoping that Williams' combination of glitzy friends and pop culture-friendly designs will ensure an uptick in sales.