By now, Pharrell Williams has a certain modus operandi when it comes to staging a Louis Vuitton menswear runway show. The staging is undoubtedly impressive—whether they're built-up sets or shown against stunning backdrops—and the music is monumentally intrinsic to the entire experience. Yes, he's a multi-awarded music producer and a musician in his own right. Yet the curated soundtrack and self-produced numbers don't serve as distractions, they amp up the show and communicate clarity into his ideas.

The Louis Vuitton Autumn/Winter 2026 show was a clear example of this confidence. Through Williams' eyes, Louis Vuitton is not just a fashion house—it's a lifestyle. In the middle of the show space (once again right next to the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris) Williams dropped the DROPHAUS, a prefabricated home deposited into the manicured calm of the Jardin d’Acclimatation. The Zen-Style architecture was designed in collaboration with Not A Hotel and included furniture pieces (called HOMEWORK) designed by Williams for the show.

DROPHAUS wasn't merely scenography. It was an example of a believable future where luxury exists to serve the body and the mind in a thoroughly timeless sense. Not nostalgia, but rather permanence, where objects and garments are designed to last because they make sense.

The fit: Williams has increasingly positioned himself as an editor of menswear’s greatest hits. Some would go as far as to say that he curates things that he has an affinity for—every single piece is, as the kids would call it, "Pharrell-coded". But at the same time, they're completely wearable, heightened everyday fashion that one could immediately purchase and wear right out of the boutique. And have them as part of one's growing wardrobe for decades to come.

There’s a faint 1980s hum running through the Louis Vuitton Autumn/Winter 2026 menswear collection. The decade’s vision of the future as imagined from the past lends the collection a retro-futurist warmth rather than cold precision.

A trompe l'œil effect that pervaded throughout the entire collection was a consistent leitmotif—nods to luxury being more than what they appear to be. Tailoring referenced classic gentleman’s cloths—houndstooth, herringbone, checks—but re-engineered with reflective yarns and technical membranes. The effect was subtle but clever: suits that behaved differently under light, shirting bonded with aluminium so that they become sculptural works of wearable art, and technical properties that one wouldn't even notice until they're pointed out. It’s the kind of luxury that doesn’t need to be explained to feel expensive, but rewards you once it is.

The details: Where the collection really flexed Louis Vuitton’s muscle was in its material play. Vicuña was disguised as workwear, while silk appeared like nylon. Even the Monogram (a motif that's celebrating its 130th anniversary this year) was treated with restraint.

Bags, as expected, were where the fantasy escalated. LV Silk-Nylon, a fabric that convincingly mimics leather while remaining water-repellent and lightweight, was one of the collection’s key innovations. It translated seamlessly across outerwear and accessories, especially in reimagined icons like the Shoulder Alma and Christopher backpack. Meanwhile, the Speedy P9 continued its evolution with a glow-in-the-dark Monogram, reversible colourways, and perforated leather that reveals depth rather than decoration.

There was a balance between restraint and indulgence. Sure, there was a Keepall encrusted with 11,000 crystal droplets, a Rush bumbag with diamond-pavé lock, and bags shaped like boomboxes and televisions. But they felt less like distractions and more like punctuation marks. Because Louis Vuitton, , at its core, is still a Maison of travel, imagination, and craft.

Three exceptional looks: Look 22's solid colour-combination with subtle Louis Vuitton-isms; the old-school, almost vintage-like treatment to the Monogram paired with proper suiting that is look 30; and look 60's workwear tailoring that's perfectly suited for the future.

The takeaway: Designing for the future doesn't mean looking completely different or new; it’s about designing with enough intelligence, humility, and human touch that clothes earn their place in a man’s life.

View the full Louis Vuitton Autumn/Winter 2026 menswear collection in the gallery below.