Pharrell Williams’s latest Louis Vuitton show at Paris Fashion Week was worth the wait, despite some initial frustrations over its delayed 9 pm start time. The rescheduling, initially met with collective sighs, was quickly forgiven when news broke that Beyoncé and Jay-Z would attend the event, alongside other high-profile figures such as Omar Sy, Steve McQueen, Spike Lee, and Victor Wembanyama.
The spring-summer 2026 collection, Williams's most impressive yet since becoming the brand's creative director of menswear in 2023, featured retro tailoring with unique combinations, such as cargo pants paired with shrunken sweaters. The collection showcased the luxury brand's latest tactic of transforming everyday items into premium versions, including striped polo shirts and boxy work shirts, all crafted with meticulous attention to detail.
Titled Paris to India, the collection drew inspiration from modern Indian sartorialism. The influence was visible in the ornate decorations on some of the trunks carried by models and a set designed by Bijoy Jain, featuring a giant hand-painted rendering of snakes and ladders, a traditional Indian game. The soundtrack included a Punjabi track co-produced by AR Rahman, adding another layer of Indian cultural influence.
While the collaboration with Indian creatives offered an authentic cultural voice, some critics raised concerns over more reductive elements, such as embroidered exotic animals, which seemed to draw from past Louis Vuitton designs created for Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited. However, the collection’s playful references to modern-day India, like cricket-themed striped ties and camping backpacks, added a relevant and fresh twist.
Despite some controversy surrounding Williams’s work, including criticism over the symbolic placement of the Louis Vuitton logo on Doechii’s cheek and the use of luxury materials, Louis Vuitton remains optimistic that Williams’s star power and pop-culture-driven designs will continue to drive sales.
(Louis Vuitton and LVMH are under pressure, with the group's fashion and leather goods divisions reporting a decline in revenue during the first quarter of 2025.)
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