Our First Impressions of Pharrell’s Western-Inspired Louis Vuitton Show

The Accessories and Bags Stole the Show

After the first and second watch, the accessories from this latest collection are what impressed me the most. The intricate details on the assortment of belts, like Western-inspired metal LV buckles, floral embroidery, and turquoise accents, made them feel like special items I’d want to add to my personal wardrobe. It’s also great to see that rather than just acknowledge the indigenous communities that craft most of this traditional gear, Pharrell and Louis Vuitton tapped members of the Lakota and Dakota tribes, under the creative direction of Dee Jay Two Bears of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, to help create some of it. Aside from the buckles there were also black monogram bandanas accented with turquoise metal tips, beanies covered in colorful beads, and even bolo ties for the riskier dressers out there that want to dive fully into the Western aesthetic. And although they weren’t the most prevalent on the runway, we can’t forget about the grills created by Dolly Cohen that were being worn by some of the models. They were a subtle nod to Pharrell’s own history that also exhibited his attention to even the most minute details.

We also need to mention all of the incredible new bags. The standout of the group was a white Speedy covered in colorful Dakota Flower embroidery crafted by artists from the Dakota and Lakota nations. Other highlights used pre-faded monogram leather that looked like they had been baking in the hot sun on the ranch. And how could you not love the “Cowmooflage” canvas bags? Pharrell is really killing it with the wordplay, huh? —Mike DeStefano

Pharrell Cements The Resurgence of Western Fashion

Pharrell is the latest of many fashion designers to go “Yee-haw.” Louis Vuitton’s move to celebrate timeless American Western style and indigenous fashion is nothing novel. Polo fanatics like myself definitely felt like Pharrell was tipping a 10-gallon hat to Ralph Lauren, who has played a big role in helping popularize these looks within the high fashion space since the late 1970s. While Western fashion has never died, there’s been a resurging interest in cowboy looks. Crocs released their own cowboy boots last year and DIY designers like Andrew Martinez have gone viral for meshing Air Force 1s with the Western footwear staple. Levi’s most popular collaborations last year included Western-inspired denim made in collaboration with Denim Tears and Born X Raised 501s decorated with indigenous motifs like the ones that were spotlighted throughout P’s collection. Although Bally released a Western-inspired capsule collection when Rhuigi Villaseñor was heading the house in 2022, Pharrell’s take is dropping right when the iron is hot and cements that Western fashion is in. That attention to the current tastes of consumers is in-line with his objective as LV’s CD, which is to design from the perspective of a luxury client. —Lei Takanashi

Pharrell Knows What People Want to Actually Wear

Pharrell, at least thus far at Louis Vuitton, hasn’t exactly been breaking new ground when it comes to fashion design. But that isn’t what we expected from him in the first place. What he has done is design clothing that people will actually get excited to purchase and wear in the real world. This season, that meant an LV-ified take on the Carhartt Detroit jacket that we will surely be seeing on plenty of people once it releases in stores later this year, classic wheat Timberland boots with monogram details, boot cut jeans covered in Damier print, and Damoflage puffer jackets done up in fluorescent orange and olive green. A lot of these classic workwear staples are what’s in style in the marketplace right now. This season, Pharrell is meeting the market where it currently is. These are pieces familiar enough to consumers that they will want to own them, and the classic Western elements differentiate them enough to make it still feel like something worth the investment that you don’t already have hanging in your closet.

That doesn’t mean there weren't some misses. The leather jacket worn by Pusha T felt a bit too costume-y. So did the embroidered leather chaps. As classic as Buffalo plaid is, we could have done without all of those pieces (who really needs a Buffalo plaid LV trunk?). But overall, this collection seems like it will sell well when it hits stores later this year because it will pique the interest of the crowds beyond LV’s traditional consumer. That’s a big reason why Pharrell’s appointment was so smart in the first place. —Mike DeStefano

Look Beyond the Soundtrack. Hip-Hop Is Still a Major Influence

Although most of the 81 looks within Pharrell’s collection were inspired by the American West, Pharrell continued to enrich hip-hop’s mutually beneficial relationship with Louis Vuitton. Aside from seating rappers like Playboi Carti, Lil Yachty, and Gunna in the front row, many garments gave a nod to the culture. An expansive collaboration with Timberland properly pedestaled hip-hop’s timeless obsession with the Six-Inch Boot. Ten different Timberland designs hit the runway on Tuesday and Juelz Santana has already given a brown coated canvas pair the official New York City stamp of approval. One of Louis Vuitton’s newest handbag styles, the Georges Tote, also received a money-bag-esque treatment with printed text that reads “The Carter, Brooklyn, NY, NYC-4-Tex,” which is likely a subtle shout out to Jay-Z. Although the addition of colorful monogram tracksuits inspired by Dapper Dan’s OG luxury bootlegs felt random within the line, it’s still dope to see P follow Virgil Abloh’s footsteps by consistently acknowledging hip-hop’s impact on Louis Vuitton. —Lei Takanashi

Pharrell Is Always Going to Show Love to NIGO

At this point, it shouldn’t be surprising to see Pharrell show his love to his longtime friend and mentor NIGO. His everyday wardrobe usually consists of a cap or a hoodie from Human Made. But seeing him walk out to take his final bow proudly sporting a Human Made T-shirt was still amazing and slightly unexpected. Yes, we know that Pharrell was recently named an adviser on the Human Made team, so there was some business reasoning likely involved in the decision, but what great promo, right? It’s also amazing to see a streetwear brand like Human Made put on such a huge platform like the LV runway during Paris Fashion Week. As much as forecasters want to believe luxury fashion is moving on from streetwear, it’s never going to fully go away, and Pharrell sporting one of NIGO designs on the runway is a huge statement to back up that claim.

Overall, this collection also felt like it was in NIGO’s wheelhouse. The Japanese designer isn’t the first person and certainly won’t be the last person to reference classic Americana with his designs. But his brand Human Made is largely based off of these styles and if you’ve seen his Levi’s collection you know he’s a bit obsessed with this era of American fashion. So, we couldn’t help but think that maybe Pharrell was having a few conversations with his good buddy NIGO while he was producing this line. Hopefully we get the official collaboration sooner or later. —Mike DeStefano

You Can Always Expect a Great Cameo

While celeb cameos in a runway show sometimes feel like bait for social media engagement, we can’t act like we don’t enjoy seeing some of our favorite celebs walk. Of course, Pharrell’s longtime collaborator and friend Pusha T made a return this season (without his brother No Malice this time around). Another surprising casting decision was seeing Deion Sanders’ sons Shedeur and Shilo walk in their first fashion show. Shedeur donned a hunting-inspired look complete with a bright orange vest, while Shilo stepped out in an orange Damoflage puffer. The Sanders brothers’ appearance shows that professional athletes are becoming even more influential within the luxury space, and P’s been recognizing that—as seen with his recent Spring/Summer 2024 campaign with LeBron James. Another notable runway cameo was the return of Will Lemay, a Black supermodel who walked the runway for labels like Sean John and Pelle Pelle in the early 2000s. It was the first show Lemay walked in 20 years and comes off as a lowkey way for Pharrell to give flowers to those that came before him. —Lei Takanashi

Pharrell’s Signature Codes Were Great Once Again

The two biggest elements of Pharrell’s debut collection were his colorful Speedy bags and his camouflage-inspired twist on Damier print that he dubbed, “Damoflage.” Luckily, both of them weren’t one-offs. For Fall/Winter 2024, Pharrell introduced new takes on each, and they were great once again. For the Speedys, we saw new turquoise, purple, hot pink, and olive green versions. While admittedly not as good as the first round of primary colors, it will be fun to see how many colors Pharrell dresses these super-exclusive Speedys in as his tenure moves forward. The “Damoflage” was presented in new brown and olive/orange variations on ranch jackets, suiting, bags, and puffers. The best execution was the brown “Damoflage” double-knee pants (the fit that Tyshawn Jones wore to the show is definitely going to be repeated by plenty of people). It’s good to see that both of these things will be signatures offerings to represent Pharrell’s time with LV. It’s the type of thing you will be able to look back on years from now and recall them as distinctly his. That’s important, especially since LV is a house with such history. —Mike DeStefano

This Wasn’t Just About Pharrell This Time

It was a bit out of his control, but it was hard not to make Pharrell the focus of his debut runway presentation with Louis Vuitton back in June 2023. A fashion and musical icon was taking the helm at one of the most prestigious fashion houses in the world. Sure, we were interested to see what he would create with LV’s toolbox at his disposal (it was a runway show after all), but the clothing almost felt secondary to the moment as a whole. For his second Paris Fashion Week showing, it felt like Pharrell was making a concerted effort to take a backseat and put the clothing in the foreground. Part of that was honing in on a more specific theme, as opposed to just making cool clothing, which the first collection seemed like. The Western theme was a subtle way to connect to Pharrell and his home state of Virginia without relying on him and his reputation to carry the story. Ultimately, it was a choice that paid off. This collection was the stronger of the two. —Mike DeStefano