Pharrell Williams is always finding new ways to surprise us.
For Louis Vuitton’s Spring-Summer 2026 menswear collection, Williams did just that by turning the runway into a giant game of Snakes and Ladders, a concept brought to life with Indian architect Bijoy Jain, who transformed the square outside the Place Georges-Pompidou into a wooden playground of numbered squares all arranged in a pattern inspired by Louis Vuitton’s signature Damier check.
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The collection pulled from India in more ways than one. The runway itself was a nod to Moksha Patam, an ancient Indian board game we all know now as Snakes and Ladders. As for the palette, sun-kissed pinks, yellows, purples, terracottas, greens and reds on coats, ties, scarves, paired with chain belts, flip-flops, and crystal-embellished socks.
“What we were inspired by from India were the colors,” he said backstage before the show. “You’ll see turmeric in the line. You’ll see cinnamon. You’ll see ‘coffee indigo’ denim.”
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Leather bags and trunks were designed with animal illustrations, a nod to The Darjeeling Limited, Wes Anderson’s 2007 film, which featured custom Louis Vuitton luggage (designed under Marc Jacobs, then LV’s creative director) used by the three brothers, which have become iconic for their hand-painted animal illustrations. It was a subtle callback to one of Louis Vuitton’s iconic onscreen moments.
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The collection felt looser but not oversized, just relaxed, like clothes that are meant to be worn often but could also stop someone in their tracks. Case in point are suits woven with metallic details, a jacket embroidered with tiny stones and micro beads, but the tone remained calm and grounded, it’s like in this collection, he was more interested in letting the details do the talking.
Accessories, as expected, were also playful. Alongside the Speedy P9, reinterpreted in exotic skins and stripes, were bowling bags, micro keychains, gradient Damier backpacks, and a transparent neon purple trunk.
Models walked the runway soundtracked by an original score from Pharrell himself featuring voices of Fire, A.R. Rahman, Doechii, and Tyler, the Creator.
The front row was just as headline-worthy. Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Gong Yoo, Bradley Cooper, BTS’s J-Hope, and Jackson Wang are just a few of the big names who showed up to see Pharrell’s latest collection. The show ended on a high, with Pharrell handing a monogrammed bag to Beyoncé in the front row.
Watch the full show below:
Images from Louis Vuitton and Getty Images
