Are you ready for Pharrell Williams‘ new take on the modern dandy? Channelling his dress style and street style with a pinch of Andre 3000? Here is what we think of Louis Vuitton Men’s Shows Pre-fall in Hong Kong.
LOUIS VUITTON MEN PRE-FALL 2024 Men’s Collection by Pharrell Williams HAWAII TO HONG KONG / HK is for LVERS
The stars and the moon aligned for Pharrell Williams at his first pre-fall collection for Louis Vuitton men‘s unveiled against Hong Kong’s sea of skyscrapers. Located at the 500-year-old Victoria Dockside, a waterfront corridor overlooking the storied waters at the heart of the Asian hub.
“We want to meet the local culture, to expose Louis Vuitton to local culture, and tonight we have the chance,” said Pietro Beccari, chief executive officer of the LVMH-owned powerhouse.
“We have a social role to give back the visibility to cities like Hong Kong, which they didn’t have in the last four years. The light is now,” Beccari added.
Channelling the “vibrancy and energy flow,” as Williams put it in his Chinese social media debut on Xiaohongshu and Douyin, the mood was breezy and dream-like.
Louis Vuitton Men’s Pre Modern Dandy
Surveying rich nautical codes, Williams continued his exploration of boyish and clean silhouettes that came with a retro drip. Here comes Williams’ modern-day dandy, whose wardrobe is informed by sailor uniforms, including the Dixie Cup hat, the double-breasted suit paired with flared trousers and shirting embellished with middy collars.
Also sampling another nautical classic, the Hawaiian print with floral motifs, Williams came in 10 new patterns, washed over in vibrant hues that evoked ’80s Japanese electronic toys. The uplifting prints emblazoned camp shirts, suits, and Speedy bags and appeared in various textures, such as jacquard, sequin, leather cutout, and embroidery. Some of the blossoms came with four petals plucked straight from Vuitton’s classic monogram.
Sailing jackets were paired with dress shorts; a fitted, yet slightly boxy, bomber came with fuller pants. Which is starting to become one of the designer’s signature looks. Peacoats and Neoprene biker jackets that were just roomy enough allowed the designer to lean into a new gender-fluid dressing that can surf across genders and body types.
Or, as Williams puts it, he only designs with the human species in mind.
Damier-covered magic-sticker sandals, 3D-printed chef shoes, and two-toned loafers were all styled with schoolboy socks, giving his dressy fit a relaxed bent. We see Andre 3000 wearing this and playing his flute. Frequently topped off with a crochet bucket hat or jaunty beret, they created a simple, classy brand with subtle French flair.
Delving deeper into his love of the Damier print, the designer played with texture and material, such as embroidery, raffia, and pearl embellishments on the best-selling Speedy bags, Keepall bags and Raffia bags, which often came with adorable sea creature-shaped tag.
As Williams’ era-mixing dandys, or erstwhile surfers, paraded down the beachy runway with a light jaunt, the finale was mood-lifting and, in kindred spirit, served with a side of “White Lotus “-chic.
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CREDITS
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Pharrell Williams
LV MENS STUDIO
SHOW
Set Design: Villa Eugenie
Styling: Matthew Henson
Casting: Anita Bitton
Makeup: Pat Mcgrath
Nails: Dawn Sterling
Hair: Kareem Belghiran
“Airplane Tickets (Ukulele version)” – Pharrell Williams x Swae Lee x Rauw Alejandro (Arrangement & additional production by Thomas Roussel)
“Airplane Tickets” – Pharrell Williams x Swae Lee x Rauw Alejandro
“Hong Kong Night” – Composed and produced by Thomas Roussel
Drone Performance by DRIFT
Photos: Louis Vuitton
