A Pharrell Parade For The Ages: Paris Men's Fashion Week's Most Epic Spectacle Yet
A tribute to Virgil, love and joy
In case you haven’t heard, Pharrell Williams did something on the Pont Neuf in Paris recently. Naturally, we needed to extend the word count of this story to talk about it all. Where does one begin with his monumental debut Spring Summer 2024 show as Louis Vuitton’s menswear Creative Director? The clothes? The show? The supernova of A-list guests? Or the man himself – musician, producer, entrepreneur and now celebrity-designer - resplendent in pixelated Damoflage? Bring out the choir(s) - not even Marilyn Monroe, not even Joan of Arc…not even…Pharrell has pulled off a feat quite like this before.
Parade, party, performance…call it what you will. The extravaganza rocked the Pont Neuf into a gilded frenzy and brought all of Paris to a grinding halt. And no surprise there, given the eyes of the world have been on Pharrell since his appointment as Creative Director for menswear in February this year. His predecessor, Virgil Abloh, left a mighty legacy not only on the house of Louis Vuitton, but on the global fashion, art and cultural spheres at large. Abloh goes down in history as the multi-disciplinary visionary who led by example in reconciling the worlds of luxury fashion and streetwear, and challenging luxury fashion’s status-quo by highlighting Black culture and championing the next generation of Black designers, artists and creatives. So, when Louis Vuitton CEO Pietro Beccari plucked Pharrell for the top job, ears pricked up, and people had things to say. In this day and age when the realms of fashion, celebrity culture and commerce converge with electrifying force and effect, the decision might not have been ‘controversial’, per se, but we have all been wide-eyed and waiting in the wings for what the 50-year-old multi-hyphenate would bring to the table.
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Photo: Getty
Louis Vuitton SS24
The show: an epic of cinematic proportions, a power statement and undoubtedly one of the biggest runway feats Paris has ever seen. Pharrell’s version of a yellow brick road is, of course, a gold-cobblestone bridge. A live orchestra’s rousing harmonies heralded nothing short of a blockbuster, as the first looks took to the runway. This monumental atmosphere intensified as a fleet of models, clothes, accessories and LV luggage-clad Jeeps - yes, Jeeps - sauntered down the runway with effortless allure. It was a spectacle of mind-blowing logistical and theatrical proportions, and yet, everything felt rather…easy. Almost impossibly so. Why? The Pharrell Effect. The collection: Damoflage for days, slick ‘modern warrior’ silhouettes, graphic and embellished prints, classic tailoring, the house’s Damier check reimagined in every-which-way, fancy footwear, and even a monogram-embossed floor-length fur coat for a final gasp. The little goldfinch and big drones circling above the Pont Neuf didn’t know where to look first.
While the collection – the ‘product’ (in consumer terms) - wasn’t by any means incidental in the spectacle, it wasn’t entirely the focus either. The collection did what it had to do, and it did so with enough thematic coherence, nods to heritage, and exuberant ‘streetwear’ allure to tick all the boxes. The clothes were only one part of the Pharrell package which will come to define his tenure at the brand’s helm. Yes, we’re talking about fashion and creativity. But we’re also talking about the almost unfathomable mystique of celebrity culture he brings to the role. In this case, the power of celebrity might well reign over conceptual rigour or design technicality that other creative directors bring to the table. For many, this is wonderful news and a big tick for inclusivity, encouraging people from diverse creative backgrounds to engage with the fashion industry without the gatekeeping of formal institutions. For others, who believe certain luxury fashion houses should do more to preserve their heritage identity, rooted in more traditional ideas of design rigour and artisanal tradition, Pharrell’s takeover is perhaps less enticing. But, as popular opinion reminds us, this is 2023. A creative director doesn’t necessarily need to be a ‘design visionary’. But a ‘vibe visionary’, they must be. While Kim Jones brings his Central Saint Martins and Christopher Bailey brings his Royal College of Art, Pharrell brings everything which makes him Pharrell.
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We could probably publish an entire hardback titled A Comprehensive Guide to the Security Scheme for VIP Guests at Louis Vuitton Men’s Spring Summer 2024 Show. There were enough stars on the Pont Neuf to make a twinkling Tour Eiffel appear dull; Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, Lenny Kravitz, Zendaya, Lewis Hamilton, Naomi Campbell, Kelly Rowland, Tyler, the Creator and Kim Kardashian among them. Designers Nicolas Ghesquière and Jeremy Scott also attended, while former creative director of Saint Laurent, Stefano Pilati, walked the runway.
For the hordes of influencers present, what a life-affirming gift it must have been to start an IG live from this frow. There’s been a lot of discussion lately about star-studded guest lists overshadowing the runway shows themselves, taking the focus away (both in real time and on social media) from where it ought to be - on the clothes, you’d think. But this show was never going to be a low-key affair nor a conventional runway, and frankly, we’re glad that the attendees served more looks than you would normally see from a whole horde of street style influencers during all of Paris Fashion Week.
Photo: Getty
Louis Vuitton SS24
It’s a good thing this show was outdoors, because its climactic atmosphere would have blown any well-hinged Parisian roof right off. More than just Pharrell’s debut show for Louis Vuitton, it was a triumph for Black designers, creatives and communities, as well as other minority groups across the world. Pharrell is both luxury and widespread appeal, Pharrell is high culture and street culture all in one. Pharrell says to each one of us, regardless of our race, background, and social or cultural spheres: “If you want it, you can have it.” Did the power of celebrity overtake fashion in this case? Perhaps. And did the world love it? Apparently so.
One can only wonder exactly how Pharrell felt when he paced down the Pont Neuf at the show's conclusion, a man who had commanded the entire world’s attention and is seemingly on his way to conquering another empire-machine… Joy! Joy! Joy! (Unspeakable) – most likely.