Louis Vuitton launches Pharrell Williams’ first collection in style

Louis Vuitton is pulling out all the stops for the global launch of Pharrell Williams‘ first collection. LVMH‘s flagship brand is banking heavily on the American pop star, who was appointed head of men’s collections last February. The anticipation is all the greater for the drop of his very first collection for spring-summer 2024, which was shown on the Pont-Neuf in Paris in June, and arrives in shops this Thursday, January 4.

The company has taken up the slogan “LVers”, but above all the emblematic Damier checkerboard pattern, which the singer/designer had developed in a pixelated military camouflage version, as well as the theme of the sun, the focal point of his collection. These two elements serve as a common thread for pop-up stores and dedicated spaces in some fifty boutiques around the world and department stores, such as the huge installation at Selfridges in London.

In Paris, the collection can be seen at the Louis Vuitton flagship store on 100, avenue des Champs-Elysées, where the facade has been taken over by an immense golden checkerboard resembling a sunbeam. The brand is taking up the “Résidence Ephémère” concept, already developed in the past, offering visitors an immersive experience with all kinds of animations unfolding over three levels, housing ready-to-wear pieces and above all the many accessories designed by Pharrell Williams, as well as perfumes and a new model of portable speaker.

Inside, a Morris column stretches over several levels, with screens showing images from the fashion show. A Parisian kiosk allows visitors to have their photo taken or create their own Louis Vuitton posters. On the first floor, private lounges rub shoulders with a secret room dedicated to the Speedy bag model, revisited in colour by the creative director, while the lower ground floor showcases musical elements from the fashion show and the singer’s universe. To add to the atmosphere, the sales staff are dressed in sneakers and white camouflage-checkered suits, just like the musicians in the show.

In London, the label is not to be outdone: until February 7, Vuitton has taken over the highly coveted Selfridges space, The Corner Shop, where it has recreated the Pont-Neuf with cubes imitating the checkerboard pattern, on which visitors can venture to discover the collection, while images from the fashion show scroll across the screens. The space features a selection of garments in checkered-camouflage prints, as well as tailored pieces, leather jackets and retro sportswear. “The collection is available at Selfridges London by appointment only,” the brand states on its website, while on its e-shop it explains to customers that pieces from the collection can only be purchased in shop.
 
“The launch of the collection on January 4 coincides with a 24-hour world tour of the Speedy bag, which will take the form of a series of physical and digital events organised from Shanghai to Paris, combining computer-generated images and physical installations,” says Vuitton, which has invested heavily in the relaunch of this iconic model, for which Pharrell Williams has offered an ultra-exclusive version in hand-painted crocodile leather worth a million euros.

Alongside this virtual journey on Louis Vuitton’s social networks and the filters integrated into its application, in December the brand installed a gigantic inflatable Speedy in Chengdu, Shanghai and on the banks of the Huangpu River. These are the first steps on the road to Santa Monica, then New York and finally Paris. All this at a time when the brand has just launched a new campaign featuring American basketball player LeBron James, wearing the famous bag.