Pharrell Williams’ debut Louis Vuitton runway show: what to remember from that memorable event ?

A golden bridge for Pharrell Williams and Louis Vuitton

Last Tuesday, June 20th, at about 9pm, the audience gathered little by little on the Pont Neuf to attend Pharrell Williams’ debut fashion show as the new artistic director of Louis Vuitton men’s collections. To celebrate that outstanding event, the oldest bridge of Paris facing the headquarters of the French trunk-maker found its ground covered with a dazzling gold checkerboard floor – Louis Vuitton’s iconic pattern.

According to the American rapper and music producer, there is no other Parisian monument able to capture the idea of transmission and handover better than the Pont Neuf. In other words, to translate how an American man from Benin became the creative director of the greatest luxury fashion house in the world.

Truth be told, Pharrell Williams’ appointment raised some interrogations, especially regarding his legitimacy as a fashion designer. Keeping in mind that Louis Vuitton is first and foremost a luxury house, before being a fashion label. The American star who started his career in the 1990s and teamed up with Daft Punk in 2013, now produces the biggest names of the pop music industry, like Britney Spears or Justin Timberlake. Yet, Pharrell Williams also shines in the fashion industry. He launched of his streetwear label Billionaire Boys Club in 2013 with Nigo, Kenzo’s artistic director, then Humanrace in 2021, and signed on-going collaborations with Adidas and Chanel, always embodying that quintessential slasher spirit dear to today’s society.

He himself modestly admits it in an interview with The New York Times: “I didn’t go to Central Saint Martins. But I definitely went in the stores and purchased, and I know what I like.” As for today, no one else than a true fashion icon like Pharrell Williams would have had the strength to take on the creative lead of a house such as Louis Vuitton.

The checked pattern as the centerpiece of the Louis Vuitton show by Pharrell Williams

A few days prior to his very first runway show for Louis Vuitton, the world discovered that Pharrell Williams’ kindness, generosity, and altruism were not a myth. Yes, he really is a cool guy. And in this ruthless industry, knowing that a star like him takes great care of his teams is important and invites anyone to support him in that turning point of his career. Even if he doesn’t really need our support.

Louis Vuitton introduced the checked pattern for the first time in 1888, a few decades after the creation of the house in 1854. The French trunk-maker’s emblematic pattern is the centerpiece of the Men’s Spring/Summer 2024 show. Available in camouflage pixel prints, on denim, streetwear looks, classic suits, or dandy silhouettes… the checked pattern becomes the common thread of Pharrell Williams’ debut collection for Louis Vuitton.

Overall, less bling than the set would suggest at first sight, this collection extends the inclusive vision of his late predecessor Virgil Abloh, who passed away in November 2021, but also reconnects with the heritage of the iconic house through a spectacular and accessible show.

Rihanna, Beyoncé, Jay Z… the stars attending the Louis Vuitton runway show

A star among stars, Pharrell Williams gathered a pool of celebrities around him for his first runaway show at the Paris Fashion Week since his appointment as Louis Vuitton men’s collections artistic director last February 2023. Along with Babeth Djian, founder and managing editor of Numéro Magazine, guests included the rapper Asap Rocky and the singer Rihanna.

The superstar Beyoncé and her husband Jay Z also attended the show and were scheduled for an exclusive after-show performance. Racing driver Lewis Hamilton, rapper Tyler, The Creator, singer Willow Smith and her brother Jaden Smith, basketball player Lebron James, the iconic Kim Kardashian or the actress and new face of the French house Zendaya, took a seat on the gold cubes placed on the sidewalks of the Pont Neuf to watch that historic fashion show.