After debuting his first Louis Vuitton menswear collection on Paris' historic Pont Neuf bridge back in June, Pharrell’s follow up runway show was never going to be dull, was it?
Rather than scale back from his enormous Parisian debut, Pharrell, who took the reins at Louis Vuitton at the beginning of 2023, ventured east to Hong Kong to present his Pre-Fall 2024 men's collection, taking over the city’s Avenue of Stars no less. Leave it to Skateboard P to turn an already tropical region even more beach-y.
Taking place on the evening of November 30, the show was typically extravagant and awash with A-list attendees, though the vibe itself was unexpectedly island-centric. Sand and water covered the runway, while a cluster of musicians set the show’s initial tropicana theme with Hawaiian-themed tunes on traditional ukuleles.
And the stars came out, too, with a slew of local influencers, actors, and Pusha T all hitting the Damier-patterned carpet before the show.
The clothes themselves, while almost a secondary to the extravaganza that was happening around them, had a sort of fantasy tourism theme about them, with bold patterns and striking silhouettes fused with Louis Vuitton’s typically opulent aesthetic.
There were also plenty of island-ready Speedy bags on display too. Which, if the success of Pharrell's million-dollar Speedy Bag from his first collection is anything to go by, will certainly be a big attraction this season, too.
In keeping with his debut too, Pharrell delivered a slew of wow moments and statement clothes all worthy of their own individual coverage. We're talking sequin-splattered aloha shirts, crisp intarsia-monogrammed summer suits, luscious leather bombers stitched with Pharrell's now-signature "LOVERS" slogan (with a little LV flower in place of the O, naturally).
The most memorable moment, though, came at the tail end of the Louis Vuitton presentation in the form of a jaw-dropping drone show that soared over the harbor, before the Pharrell took to the runway to rapturous applause.
Pharrell's debut show was always going to be tough to follow up. However, by virtually shutting down Hong Kong with an immersive had-to-be-there runway, Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton arguably have raised the stakes even higher this time around. Then again, are you really surprised? I know I'm not.
