The stars — and the moon — aligned for Pharrell Williams at his first pre-fall collection for Louis Vuitton men’s, which was unveiled against the backdrop of Hong Kong‘s sea of skyscrapers, located at the 500-year-old Victoria Dockside, a waterfront corridor overlooking the storied waters at the heart of the Asian hub.
“We want to meet the local culture, to expose Louis Vuitton to local culture, and tonight we have the chance,” Pietro Beccari, chief executive officer of the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned powerhouse said ahead of the show.
“We have a social role to give back the visibility to cities like Hong Kong, which they didn’t have in the last four years. The light is now,” Beccari added.
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Channeling the “vibrancy and energy flow,” as Williams put it in his Chinese social media debut on Xiaohongshu and Douyin, the mood was breezy and dream-like.
Surveying rich nautical codes, Williams continued his exploration of boyish and clean silhouettes that came with a retro bent.
Here comes Williams’ new dandy, whose wardrobe is informed by sailor uniforms, including the Dixie Cup hat, the double-breasted suit paired with flared trousers and shirting embellished with middy collars.
Louis Vuitton Men’s Pre-Fall 2024
Giovanni Giannoni/WWD
Also sampling another maritime classic, the Hawaiian print with floral motifs, Williams’ came in 10 new patterns, washed over in vibrant hues that evoke ’80s Japanese electronic toys.
The uplifting prints emblazoned camp shirts, suits, Speedy bags and appeared in an array of textures, such as jacquard, sequin, leather cutout and embroidery. Some of the blossoms came with four petals, which were plucked straight from Vuitton’s classic monogram.
Sailing jackets were paired with dress shorts; a fitted, yet slightly boxy, bomber came with fuller pants, while peacoats and Neoprene biker jackets that were just roomy enough allowed the designer to lean into a new kind of gender-fluid dressing that can surf across genders and body types. Or, as Williams puts it, he only designs with the human species in mind.
Damier-covered magic-sticker sandals, 3D-printed chef shoes, and two-toned loafers were all styled with school boy socks that gave his dressy fit a relaxed bent. Oftentimes topped off with a crochet bucket hat or jaunty beret, they created a brand of simple elegance with subtle French flair.
Delving deeper into his love of the Damier print, the designer played with texture and material, such as embroidery, raffia, and pearl embellishments on the best-selling Speedy bags, Keepall bags and Raffia bags, which often came with an adorable sea creature-shaped tag.
As Williams’ era-mixing dandys, or erstwhile surfers, paraded down the beachy runway with a light jaunt, the finale was mood-lifting and, in kindred-spirit, served with a side of “White Lotus“-chic.