There were a lot of things that happened at the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2026 menswear show. Held at the square of the soon-to-be-closed Centre Pompidou (arguably one of my personal favourite museums in Paris), the show was true to creative director Pharrell Williams' approach to a Louis Vuitton menswear runway show. The front row guests were diverse, the staging was different from the previous season, and the music—OH, THE MUSIC—was stellar. All that and a surprise appearance by Jay-Z and Beyoncé meant that the fashion on show felt like props to a damn good concert.
Let me explain.
Apparently, the collection was centred around India's sartorialism. It's something that one wouldn't necessarily have picked up on because the references were subtle, but upon reading the press notes post-show, everything made perfect sense. Like the sudden Punjabi beats that exploded midway through the show's soundtrack, for example—a co-produced track between Williams and legendary Indian composer A. R. Rahman. And the embroidered prints that made their way onto almost every piece imaginable, that were so familiar that I breathed an "Ah!" when briefed during the resee the next morning.
India was felt and seen upon closer inspection, but not from the runway seats and nor perhaps even through the livestream. But maybe, that's rather genius. Williams created a collection that had to be inspected and experienced in person.
The fit: What was very apparent was the strong nods to the Maison's travel heritage. The ready-to-wear felt and looked like they were ready to be part of your next journey. There was this sense of an impossibly chic globetrotter defined by a grounded colour palette that's both rich and sun-drenched all the same. Silhouettes were very much elongated and covered a gamut of lifestyles—from sartorial dandy to mountaineering.
And surprisingly, for a someone who's championed the Damier as his preferred leitmotif as creative director, the entire Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2026 was almost Damier-free. Save for an embroidered jacket that featured a degradé Damier of sorts, the collection was particularly minimalist in execution. And dare I say, quite possibly Williams' most commercial collection yet. In place were Madras checks but more monochromatic in treatment and almost resembled the Damier if you squint.
The details: But that was all only at a glance. As mentioned, the collection needed closer inspection. With its inspiration being India, Williams injected a lot of the country's renowned craftsmanship into the collection. Embroidery was a key craft that was employed throughout with a keen and heavily edited eye. They ranged from the reimagining of the motif created by Louis Vuitton for the 2007 film The Darjeeling Limited—a truly Wes Anderson palette of pastel animals and flora motifs—to sequinned trims on tailoring and knits to fully embellished shoes and Speedy P9s.
The "L.V.M." branding was a clever nod to the Maison's travel heritage, inspired by the act of personalisation of its beloved trunks. They appeared on tailored pieces the likes of suits and coats in almost uniform-esque treatment.
But perhaps one of my more favourite touches that definitely needs to be seen up close were the Speedy P9 bags decorated with gold-thread Monogram embroidery. There's something about the gold treatment that added so much more character and charm to the bags, especially in its larger versions—definitely one for keeps.
Three exceptional looks: Look 32's mountaineering fit with a puffer fixed with an embellished hoodie; the fresh take of a classic suit-shirt pairing in look 39; and the closing look 75 with its billowy striped coat.
The takeaway: Williams's most pared-back collection could possibly be his strongest design-wise.
View the full Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2026 menswear collection in the gallery below.
