In menswear, no one holds a runway show like Pharrell Williams does for Louis Vuitton. These showcases aren’t just about the fashion. Williams’ creative direction extends to enlisting live musical performances, producing new songs expressly for each show, and holding them at different venues with a different set design every time. No one can ever fault the man for not putting on a show season after season.
The Louis Vuitton Autumn/Winter 2025 menswear show was no less special, if not more. It was held at the Cour Carré du Louvre, a square within the emblematic Parisian museum compounds, where the Maison effectively blocked out the area on the evening of the show, restricting access to the public from Place du Carrousel onwards. After a four-minute walk from the guest entrance to the show space, we were greeted by a massive oblong structure decorated with the Maison’s Damier motif (a Williams favourite) in mirrored metallic. A Louis Vuitton-branded carpet stretched out from an arched walkway that led us straight into the show space that, unlike the boxed exterior, featured a circular runway. At its centre was a raised platform surrounded by tiered seating arranged with music stands and chairs. What was peculiar were the big light boxes precisely positioned equidistant to one another in the middle of the runway. Were they going to move throughout the show? Was there anything in them? Questions about these light boxes were on everyone’s minds. (We’ll get to them later.)
What we were certain of though, was that this show was a collaborative effort between Williams and longtime friend and fellow creative director Nigo. (Louis Vuitton had announced it on social media hours before the show.)
Collaborations in fashion have become commonplace. It used to be that announcement of a collaboration could render all other news irrelevant. However, that doesn’t mean the Louis Vuitton Autumn/Winter 2025 collection (yes, the entire collection is a Williams x Nigo effort) has zero cultural weight. While the two had collaborated with Louis Vuitton back in 2004—resulting in the iconic Millionaires sunglasses—this marked the first time that the latter reunited with Williams in his capacity as men’s creative director of the Maison.
Soon l’Orchestre du Pont Neuf musicians took their places and as they played Nobuo Uematsu’s “One-Winged Angel”, the first model emerged on the runway. It was a broken three-piece suit number with pearl buttons, topped with a Louis Vuitton Monogram tie and then juxtaposed with a pair of chunky sneakers and a sakura pink Speedy P9. The ensemble set the tone for the collection: an eclectic mix of tailoring with bits of Japanese influence (including its Western skewed ones) as well as both creative directors’ love for streetwear. The latter, however, was dialled down for more tailored pieces and denim-heavy workwear.
The most “street” in the entire collection is the LV Buttersoft sneakers. Crafted from buttery leather and designed with a chunky, pillowy silhouette, it attains a shape that’s almost skate-like.
It’s obvious where Nigo’s involvement in the collection lay: the wave-like effect via a patchwork of Louis Vuitton motifs—inspired by Japanese boro technique—is reminiscent of Nigo’s 2020 collaboration with the Maison during Virgil Abloh’s tenure. This time, the patterns are skewed vertically. The collection’s denims also incorporate Japanese techniques, reimagining Louis Vuitton motifs as enduring emblems. Aside from the wave-like motifs, which were similarly applied to denim ready-to-wear, the sashiko-stitching also amplified the patchwork that resembles the Damier, while the shippo-weaving became the basis of the Dandy Monogram, which focuses on the Maison’s flower emblem. A personal favourite is a striped denim jacket and jorts that were embellished with scattered crystal embroidery of the flower emblem.
For Williams and Nigo fans, the collection offers obvious collaborative ensigns. Profiles of the duo appear on iterations, fronting bags and accessories as well as on the tongues of the LV Buttersoft sneakers. The Damier Scribbles may bear some resemblance to the iconic collaboration between the Maison and Stephen Sprouse back in 2001, but actually feature Nino’s handwriting in French and Japanese.
The show ended with “LV Bag”, a musical collab among Williams, American rapper Don Toliver and South Korean idol j-hope. As Williams and Nigo took their bows, the 24 light boxes revealed their contents (remember them?). A treasure trove of archival pieces taken from the personal collections of both creatives, as well as those of private collectors, was arranged by unit to illustrate a moment in time that was culturally pivotal to and impacted by the Maison, Williams and Nigo.
Collaborations may no longer have the commercial draw they once held, but to Williams, they remain an important creative tool. It may not be as obvious as in the Louis Vuitton Autumn/Winter 2025 menswear collection, but the continued conversations among cultures, creatives and artistries (no doubt that Williams would carry on under his LVERS philosophy) remain key to the Maison’s dynamic collections.
