Ride the wave. For his latest Louis Vuitton menswear show, Pharrell designed a man-made beach inside the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris. Equipped with sandy floors, the catwalk was backdropped by a eight-metres-high tidal wave that pumped water that would be flowed back into the city’s sewers following the show. It was a temporary seaside reprieve for the fashion pack, who have been battling temperatures pushing 40 degrees in both Milan and Paris.
As the wave towered high, models emerged from its curve in clothing inspired by the surfer lifestyle. Yes, there was actual surfing gear – one model, with beach blonde waves, came in a LV monogrammed wetsuit. But Pharrell was mainly inspired by the bohemian spirit that comes with life spent riding the ocean. His modern dandy design lexicon, which he has been expanding on since his debut for the house three years ago, now included handwoven cardigans that came in checkerboard prints. There were also sun bleached anoraks, roomy jorts and denim jackets that had seashell embroidery across the neck.
In the Californian spirit, glittery jumpers, tees and jeans came emblazoned in a palm tree print, and models came carrying surfboards, skateboards and backpacks covered in patches, as if you’d stumbled upon them in a beachside boutique. Cowabunga.
Photography courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
