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Observing the flurry of understated-but-finely-tailored ensembles that breezed past the runway at Louis Vuitton’s men’s spring-summer collection, adjectives like “bold,” “subversive,” or “inventive” might seem, on the surface, hyperbolic, or worse still, incongruous in describing the show. And that assessment might not entirely be wrong. The collection, which sticks to tried-and-tested silhouettes, generously features pin-striped fabrics, bold geometric cuts, browns and reds and beiges, loose-fitting pants, and minimalist leather jackets.
Taken on the surface, the collection’s aesthetic, for all its debonair swagger, is hardly revolutionary. However, considering it in the context of Williams’, very interesting, tenure as men’s creative director of Louis Vuitton reveals an entirely different picture.
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On February 14, 2023, following Virgil Abloh’s untimely passing the year before, Pharrell Williams, a conscientious patron of the brand, was tapped as the new creative director. In 2004, Williams collaborated with Marc Jacobs and Nigo for the iconic “Millionaire” shades; in 2008 he reprised his role as collaborator, teaming with Pietro Beccari for a capsule jewelry line for Louis Vuitton. Despite his close ties to the brand as well as his reputation for being one of the most stylish men in Hollywood, his selection as creative director came as a shock to many, and not without reason. Before Williams was appointed, several notable designers were in the running for the role, including Grace Wales Bonner, Martine Role, and Colm Dillane (Kid Super). Compared to these stalwarts, Williams’ fashion credentials seemed, at best, tenuous.
Williams’s first show for the brand, which took place in June that year at Pont Neuf, the oldest standing bridge in Paris, managed to stave off criticism by playing it safe. The goal, it seemed, was to deliver a collection steeped in practicality, a collection composed of clothes optimized around maximizing shareholder value as opposed to being organized around any particular aesthetic sensibility or philosophical argument, such as Abloh’s guiding ethos which was to elevate streetwear—a core aspect of Black culture—to the highest echelons of fashion and culture.
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That Williams managed to put together one of the most star-studded events in the history of contemporary fashion, also helped him earn favorable reviews. Recalling the show, Noah Jackson, in a GQ article wrote: “There were more one-name stars at this show than I have ever seen in one place, and a few who I have never seen at a fashion show. You couldn’t take three steps without bumping into one of them: Beyoncé, Jay, Kim, Zendaya, Tyler, Lebron, Rocky, Rihanna.”
But as the years rolled by and he kept to the same playbook, the same motifs, the same vacuous ideas, fans and critics would start to grow discontented. So much so that in February of 2024, when Tyler the Creator debuted a capsule collection with Louis Vuitton, many heralded him as the rightful heir to the LV throne and posited his sprightly aesthetic as the counterpoint to Pharrell's more hemmed-in approach.
Williams’ 2026 spring-summer collection for Louis Vuitton, however, shows a different side to his artistry, one that finds him repudiating his penchant for safety in favor of a more swashbuckling approach. This time he looks to India for creative thrust; the show is titled Paris to India.
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One major aesthetic shift in this collection is the diminished role of streetwear, which is significant for two reasons. The first being that Pharrell’s sartorial sensibilities, for the longest time, seemed to derive from streetwear. The second reason is that this coincides with the industry-wide shift away from streetwear in high fashion. While, in the past few years, major houses have progressively weaned themselves off of streetwear, Louis Vuitton, under Pharrell’s leadership, has however been pointedly reluctant to follow suit. And so this collection may perhaps be viewed in hindsight as the final chapter of streetwear’s dalliance with high fashion.
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Putting this rather ominous undercurrent of the show to the side, the collection has already begun to earn rave reviews from critics and fans alike. And while its broader cultural impact remains to be seen, William’s embrace of experimentation, particularly his embrace of a cinematic approach to delivering the collection, seems to be his boldest move since he assumed leadership of the brand. Watching the show, which juxtaposed laissez-faire retro tailoring with ornate accessories, I could picture myself ambling down the busy streets of Mumbai, bathed in streaks of golden sunlight, a gentle breeze caressing my face as I very jauntily brandished my LV duffle bag.
