Pharrell Williams’ Louis Vuitton debut on Tuesday blended the world of hip hop with high fashion. The newly appointed men’s creative director showed Louis Vuitton’s Menswear Spring/Summer 2024 collection to a star-studded crowd of his peers and fellow rappers walking in the show. This collection’s theme was “Lovers” and was a classic example of luxury fashion using hip hop culture and putting it on display on one of the highest stages. However, this time it was done by someone who’s been a trailblazer within Black culture since the 90s. Here are three aspects of the show that were heavily infused by the genre and culture.
The Front Row
Even before the show started, hip hop artists including (but certainly not limited to) A$AP Rocky, Jay Z and Tyler the Creator were seated for the debut, which took place at Paris’ Pont Neuf. Although rappers have long graced the front row at Paris Fashion Week, this occasion felt more special as Williams succeeded the late designer Virgil Abloh as Louis Vuitton’s menswear creative director. Alboh, in his own right, was influential in merging together hip hop, haute couture and design during his tenure at Louis Vuitton. So, it’s fitting that Tuesday night’s front row guests were largely Williams’ frequent collaborators and music industry peers.
The Models
Of the dozens of models that graced the runway, two were major standouts—and for good reason. Pusha T and his brother, No Malice of the hip hop duo Clipse walked the runway. A snippet of their unreleased song played in the background. Williams including Clipse in the model roster comes as no surprise as he’s known and collaborated with the duo since their early days in Virginia Beach, VA. In a 2016 interview with Genius, Pusha T said, “Me and Pharrell have been friends since when I was in the eighth grade. He’s like two years older than me. We went to separate schools, but he was always into music. He’s the person that let me know that music was a real thing.”
new CLIPSE (Pusha T and Malice) from LV show – full song – first CLIPSE record in 13 years? pic.twitter.com/kd2M2BneUo
— unsubscribe (@zone6danny) June 20, 2023
The After Party
Riding high from the much talked about runway show, Williams concluded the night with a memorable performance. This took place during the after party. Sharing the stage with Jay Z, the pair perform classics including their 2003 song “Frontin” and Jay’s 2000 single “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)”. Overall, this aspect of the show’s experience captured the essence of various worlds that Williams has a direct hand in influencing and innovating.
Leave it to @pharrell, @louisvuitton’s menswear artistic director, to give showgoers top-tier fashion—and a show. Tonight in Paris, Jay Z attended the show with @beyonce before hitting the stage himself for a performance. See more from the event here: https://t.co/TG012Cjj0A pic.twitter.com/IFQLL7gIz7
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) June 20, 2023
The Bottom Line
This show-stopping debut gave a glimpse into Williams’ goal with this appointment. His goal is to pay it forward Black culture and explore the opportunity for showcasing it to the masses. “It’s not lost on me that I’m afforded this opportunity to tell these stories,” he recently told the Associated Press. “My appointment is a tribute.”
Featured image credit: Photo by Dominique Charriau via Getty Images
