Louis Vuitton is making waves with the global launch of Pharrell Williams’ inaugural collection. As the head of men’s collections since February, the anticipation for Pharrell’s first spring-summer 2024 collection, originally showcased on Paris’s Pont-Neuf last June, reaches its peak as it hits stores on January 4.
The campaign adopts the slogan «LVers,» highlighting Pharrell’s reinterpretation of the Damier checkerboard pattern in pixelated military camouflage. The sun theme, a focal point of the collection, accompanies these motifs. This theme threads through pop-up stores and dedicated spaces in around fifty boutiques worldwide, including an elaborate installation at Selfridges in London.
In Paris, the Louis Vuitton flagship store on 100, Avenue des Champs-Elysées transforms its facade into an immense golden checkerboard resembling a sunbeam. Embracing the «Résidence Ephémère» concept, visitors experience an immersive journey through three levels featuring ready-to-wear pieces, Pharrell Williams-designed accessories, perfumes, and a new portable speaker model.
The interior boasts a Morris column spanning multiple levels, showcasing images from the fashion show on screens. A Parisian kiosk allows visitors to create their own Louis Vuitton posters or have their photo taken. Private lounges, a secret room dedicated to the revamped Speedy bag model, and a lower ground floor highlighting musical elements from the fashion show enhance the overall experience. Sales staff don sneakers and white camouflage-checkered suits, mirroring the musicians from the show.
In London, Louis Vuitton takes over the coveted Selfridges space, The Corner Shop, until February 7. Recreating the Pont-Neuf with checkerboard-patterned cubes, the space invites visitors to explore the collection amid images from the fashion show displayed on screens. The collection, featuring checkered-camouflage prints, tailored pieces, leather jackets, and retro sportswear, is available by appointment only at Selfridges London, as stated on the brand’s website.
The January 4 collection launch coincides with a 24-hour world tour of the Speedy bag, featuring physical and digital events from Shanghai to Paris. Louis Vuitton has invested significantly in relaunching this iconic model, offering an ultra-exclusive version in hand-painted crocodile leather worth a million euros, as showcased in a virtual journey on the brand’s social networks and integrated filters.
This effort aligns with the brand’s recent campaign featuring American basketball player LeBron James proudly showcasing the iconic Speedy bag.
