Louis Vuitton & Jude Bellingham Formalize Their Friendship (EXCLUSIVE)
Louis Vuitton and Jude Bellingham are friends. Not in the typical sense, of course, but in the only way a luxury fashion powerhouse and a footballing megastar can form a friendship.
Last summer, Jude Bellingham was officially unveiled as a “Friend of the House” of Louis Vuitton through a moody, darkly-lit photoshoot. Now, almost a year to the date of that announcement, he’s helping his new friend out with some modelling work.
A week before he kicks off the 2025-26 La Liga season with Real Madrid, Bellingham is the face of Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2026 formalwear campaign.
Designed by Louis Vuitton Men’s creative director Pharrell Williams to align with his vision of dandyism and formal dress, the collection spans classic businesswear, experimental tailoring, and luxurious evening attire.
In one image, unveiled exclusively here by Highsnobiety, Bellingham wears a jacket comparable to a chore coat thanks to its shape and two large patch pockets. However, it is crafted from a dark marine blue suiting fabric. It is part of what Louis Vuitton calls its “workwear-inspired suits.”
That is classic Pharrell. Under his direction, the French luxury house has shown a heightened fascination for rough-and-ready workwear, creating everything from artisanal Timberland boots to monogrammed double-kneed pants. And this is even spilling into the formalwear.
There’s another piece of patch-pocketed outerwear in the collection, this time a boxy-fitting grey jacket with leather pockets and a zip closure, worn above a sleek black quarter-zipped sweater.
In the suit department, there’s a sharp dark grey two-piece worn beneath a duo of jackets: a matching boxy bomber jacket and a mid-length black coat. It’s layering that sounds excessive, but somehow looks completely natural.
Bellingham will be getting used to wearing Louis Vuitton’s tailoring. Earlier this summer, Louis Vuitton announced it is kitting out the Real Madrid squad with bespoke travel outfits. The English footballer also starred in that campaign, announcing the new partnership.
Unfortunately, those designs are exclusive to the Real Madrid team. Louis Vuitton’s SS26 formalwear, on the other hand, will be available in LV stores from August 28.
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