After his stunning debut in Paris, Pharrell Williams raises the bar even higher. For his second show, the new creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear chooses the vibrant and eclectic city of Hong Kong, once again making a Vuitton fashion show worthy of the name.
With one of the world’s most memorable skylines as the backdrop to the Pre-Fall 2024 men’s show, the new Louis Vuitton men’s collection brought together celebrity guests from around the world, including global superstars from South Korea, China and Japan.
The show, which took place on the evening of November 30, was typically extravagant yet extremely chic with an unexpectedly tropical atmosphere. Sand and water covered the catwalk, while a group of musicians enhanced the tropical mood of the show with Hawaiian-themed songs on traditional ukuleles.
Located right on the Tsim Sha Tsui seafront, overlooking the picturesque skyline of Hong Kong, the location itself combined perfectly with the theme of the collection, as well as confirming the particular attention that the brand is dedicating to the Asian market.
As part of their invitation, event attendees received a T-shirt featuring a playful and colorful graphic of a beach island scene.
Pharrell’s passion for bright colors and bold styles has also found expression in this latest collection, revisiting traditional models such as the Damier, as seen on cloud-shaped sandals and Keepall bags. The urban landscape and sunny beaches of Hong Kong were undoubtedly a source of inspiration for the designer.
“(The runway’s concept) was inspired by the idea of a businessman in Hong Kong who has decided to spend a week or so in Hawaii on holiday. But in the middle of his trip, he has to go back to Hong Kong for one day for a meeting he couldn’t move.” Explained Pharrell in an interview.
“The archetypes that we chose were like a sailor one and an another archetype was one on holiday. There’s a lot of floral inspiration, a deep dive into exotic colorways, interesting pairings of colors. The silhouette that you’re going to see is consistent with what I’m infatuated with when it comes to formal…which is the future of chic, dandy in a sailor suit, dandy in resort holiday.”
The most memorable moment of the event came at the very end of the presentation, with a stunning display of drones flying over the harbor recreating the “LVers” motif designed by Pharrell Williams for the brand.
