The Paris Men’s Fashion Week shows are officially underway, many of which will be star-studded, as we’ve seen in several recent brand campaigns. One of them, particularly Louis Vuitton, is of course led by the man who puts the celebrity in celebrity designer: Pharrell Williams. Since taking up the position as men’s creative director at the French house, Williams has been on a roll, serving up pieces that both die-hard Vuitton lovers and casual fans can get behind. The latest looks feel fresh but still wearable.
Pharrell dubbed brown “the new indigo” this season, and it dominated the collection, showing up in everything from outerwear to accessories. One could say the collection’s tailored moments, especially the chocolate overcoats that led the show, carried a subtle continuation of this year’s Met Gala energy. Overall, the collection was a calm blend of sharp tailoring, streetwear staples, and polished off-duty pieces. But the storytelling didn’t stop on the runway.
Ahead of today’s show, Louis Vuitton gave “a first look at the new collection” by showing an image on Instagram of Pusha T wearing a tank, button-up, and outerwear. Another campaign featured the architect Bijoy Jain holding the brand’s Speedy P9 bag. Jain was in fact an inspiration for this year’s collection, as he drew on “visual codes from game of Snakes and Ladders,” Vuitton stated on Instagram. The idea was that the show’s location, Place Georges Pompidou, would become “a veritable playground, immersing the audience and cast as players in this metaphysical construct of possibility.” Even the bags were unmistakably meant to accessorize, or even amuse, with animals and palm trees on them. Those motifs appeared on some of the outerwear, too. Another pattern scattered throughout the collection was stripes, which popped up in puffer jackets, suits and button-up shirts (one of them was collarless). As the show came to a close, a few surprises unfolded.
From the opening look to the final walk, it was clear that Vuitton is leaning into a more practical approach to menswear for Summer 2026. But one moment that genuinely caught me off guard? The score for the finale. Pharrell debuted a new track that he produced, “Get Right” with Doechii and Tyler, The Creator, merging his music and fashion worlds in true Pharrell fashion. And of course, what better time to hand Beyoncé a handbag straight off the runway than during the final bow? In a way, that final gesture was a reminder that Pharrell’s Vuitton isn’t just about clothes or spectacle. In his world, music, fashion, and cultural icons don’t just coexist, they collaborate.
This collection set the tone for what’s already shaping up to be an exciting week in Paris. One where fashion, star power, and storytelling go hand in hand. If this is how Men’s Fashion Week begins, we can’t wait to see what the rest of the week has in store.