PIVOTING FROM LUXURY FASHION NORMS, LOUIS VUITTON’S LATEST SHOW USED A PARISIAN ICON AS ITS SET

22 jun 2023, for frame

Location

Brand

In his first presentation as Louis Vuitton’s newly appointed menswear creative director, Pharrell Williams breaks away from the brand’s fixed show venue in Paris for the SS24 show.

Key features

Pharrell's first collection for the Louis Vuitton Menswear SS24 was one of Paris Fashion Week’s most highly anticipated presentations. It took place on Pont Neuf, the city’s oldest and one of its most iconic bridges. The runway was decorated with gold chessboard floors. Guests were seated on cubes arranged in three rows, running the whole length of the bridge. At one end of the bridge, minimalistic photographer tribunes with lighting stood in stark contrast to the adjacent Samaritaine Paris building. At the other end, a gold photo wall enclosed a statue of Henry IV, further enhancing the grandeur and opulence of the set. Here, a stage for musical performances was set up emphasizing the entertainment aspect of the fashion show. After the show’s conclusion, the stage became a platform on which Jay Z and Pharrell performed.

FRAME’s take

Earlier this year, Louis Vuitton presented its Women's Pre-Fall Show 2023 in Seoul, with acclaimed director Hwang Dong-Hyuk, known for his work on the popular Netflix series Squid Game, taking the helm as the show's designer. The location chosen was the Jamsugyo Bridge, a renowned landmark in Seoul, adding a touch of local charm to the event. With the SS24 menswear show, a local landmark was once again used. This signals a departure from Louis Vuitton's usual approach of hosting shows with complex scenographies in traditional black box venues and represents a shift in the brand's show strategy. By choosing an unconventional yet iconic location, the brand breaks free from self-imposed norms and embraces a more expressive, dynamic approach.

Louis Vuitton shows that change in its creative direction is a point of evolution for the brand, which the unconventional location and its corresponding scenography are evidence of. It also sheds light on changes in the fashion realm, as well as the increasing intersections between different commercial art forms, such as fashion and music.