The pop sensation, who was named creative director of Louis Vuitton's menswear wing in February, is set to debut his first collection in the City of Lights
Paris Men’s Fashion Week is back with a bang in the City of Lights with perhaps the most eagerly awaited show in a long, long time.
Critics are predicting a return to its pre-Covid glory days and nights with the proceedings kicking off with a star turn - namely Pharrell Williams, head of menswear at Louis Vuitton.
The 51-year-old musical superstar will present his first ever runway show since his appointment at the fashion house was announced back in February.
The music producer and 13-time Grammy award winner took over the role of artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear collection, succeeding the late Virgil Abloh, the jack-of-all-trades artist who skillfully married luxury and streetwear. He died at the age of just 41 at the end of 2021. Williams is a mainstay of the front rows of catwalks and often hailed as a style icon. He has also already collaborated with other top fashion brands including Moncler and Adidas - and, of course, Louis Vuitton.
Speaking at the time of the pop sensation’s appointment the CEO of the French fashion house, Pietro Beccari, said, “I am happy to see Pharrell return home, after our collaborations in 2004 and 2008. His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton to a very exciting new chapter”.
Williams, known for hits such as 'Happy' and 'Get Lucky', has also collaborated with Chanel and has a number of his own fashion brands including Billionaire Boys Club and Icecream.
His debut show is arguably the main attraction of this iteration of Fashion Week and it’s likely to be a nerve wracking time for the singer as well as Pietro Beccari, who only took over as CEO in January.
It’s hard to guess exactly what Vuitton will show on the runway under the leadership of the newly-installed pair, but there are rumours that the ‘Louis Vuitton man’ will be adorned in bright colours and subtly flamboyant silhouettes.
The location for the show will be spectacular in itself - the fashion house has chosen the iconic Pont Neuf with its stunning views of the Seine and the Ile de la Cité - and the guestlist is sure to be full of stars too.
It’s set to be an extremely busy week for Williams. Alongside the Vuitton show, he’s set up a pop-up café in The Broken Arm boutique, based around the Samba Humanrace sneaker as well as taking part in an auction at his own auction house Joopiter.
‘Just Phriends’, will offer up a collection of works of art from Takashi Murakami to Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, which will be on show in Paris throughout the week before going on sale.
Williams will also host a glitzy dinner to celebrate twenty years of his brand Billionaire Boys Club brand, which he founded with Nigo, the creative director of Kenzo.
Despite Williams’ dominance over the week, which runs until 25 June, the event boasts a packed programme, bringing together some 80 labels with 38 presentations and 42 fashion shows as well as a collective show by graduates of the Institut Français de la Mode.
In contrast to London’s relatively tiny June Fashion Week, Paris’ edition plays host to a vast array of top names in the industry, Alongside them, all the big names will be present, including Dior, Hermès, Givenchy, Loewe and Kenzo, to name but a few.
As well as the shows and presentations, there will be a series of events hosted by labels including Louboutin and Acne Studios and a new Valentino boutique will officially open on Avenue Montaigne.
Adding to the roster of established fashion houses, two new names will debut their first catwalk collection. Turkish Burc Akyol, a finalist in this year's LVMH Prize will show his demi-couture collection and the brains behind Koché, Christelle Kocher, will unveil her designs at the star-studded event.
While Men’s Fashion Week officially comes to a close on Sunday, ever-popular brand Jacquemus are once again proving their non-conformist nature; they’ll present their latest collection 'Le Chouchou' the following day, June 26, at the stunning Palace of Versailles.
Headed up by Simon Porte Jacquemus, the fashion house is following in the footsteps of giants including Dior and Chanel, who have also used the magnificent venue in the past as a backdrop to presentations of their collections. In choosing the palace, it’s thought that Jacquemus is aiming to position itself in an increasingly upmarket segment of the fashion industry.
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