Pharrell Williams brings Old West style to Paris
PARIS – Pharrell Williams brought the American West to Paris on Jan 16 as he presented a collection full of cowboy hats and rhinestones for his latest Fall/Winter 2024/2025 show as creative director at Louis Vuitton.
The renowned American musician, 50, joined the French brand in 2023 as a sign of the increasingly lucrative cross-pollination between fashion, music and celebrity.
He was the headline act on the first day of Paris Fashion Week, with a collection full of denim, tassels, Native American-inspired ponchos, pearl and sequin floral embroideries, and enough varieties of cowboy boots and hats to fill a country music festival.
The show notes described it as “an exploration of the origins of workwear through the savoir faire of Louis Vuitton”.
The show was held in a large hangar beside the company’s Louis Vuitton Foundation art museum in western Paris and attracted stars including actors Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan and Omar Sy, and rappers Playboi Carti and Pusha T. Hong Kong-born rapper-singer Jackson Wang and K-pop boy band Riize were also spotted at the show.
The night ended with Williams performing alongside the British band Mumford & Sons and a group of Native American musicians.
It was another extravagantly expensive publicity stunt for Louis Vuitton, which in 2023 became the first to hit 20 billion euros ($29.2 billion) in revenues.
There has been criticism from local officials over the brand’s intrusions on daily life in Paris, particularly after Williams took over the entire Pont Neuf bridge for his debut runway show in the summer of 2023, shutting down traffic in the city’s historic centre.
The luxury sector has become one of the most crucial success stories in the European economy, despite its associations with social inequality and the environmental damage wrought by the fashion industry.
The season began in Milan last week and continues in Paris with autumn/winter menswear collections from the likes of Dior, Hermes and Loewe.
Other brands are racing to keep up, with several big-name designers booted out recently in the cut-throat race for profits.
Givenchy parted ways with menswear boss Matthew Williams in January. His replacement has yet to be announced.
Gucci, Chloe and Alexander McQueen all saw new creative directors in 2023.
There are few major changes in this week’s line-up, though Balmain is returning to menswear shows for the first time in several years.
Forty-two brands are holding runway shows during the menswear week, and another 32 organising presentations of their new collections. – AFP
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