Remember Louis Vuitton‘s jaw-dropping extravaganza on the Pont Neuf last June? Fresh from that rodeo, Pharrell Williams’ design studio has just lassoed a Fall/Winter 2024 collection that takes the house on an American odyssey. Forget Parisian boulevards – think dusty plains, denim chaps and the spirit of cowboys who defied stereotypes.
As Williams explained in a post-show interview, “We see cowboys portrayed one way, but not the original versions. They looked like us, Black, Native American.” Inclusivity wasn’t just talk. Artists from the Dakota and Lakota tribes collaborated on hand-painted Speedy bags decorated with desert flowers, and the soundtrack hummed with Lakota tunes by “Hokie” Clairmont. Even the models, including Lakota musician Gunner Jules in a painted Keepall, embodied this respect for diverse American stories.
American history is a tangled web, and Williams acknowledged this. “No judgement, just telling our stories candidly, with love,” he said. And that love was evident in the craftsmanship. Lace shirts featured embroidered lasso-slinging cowboys, denim jackets bloomed with yellow desert flowers and leather chaps, a Louis Vuitton first, strutted in saddle patterns or fringed with floral flair. Turquoise, the jewel of the desert, sparkled on studded belts, collars and bolos, even on bags like the dusty monogrammed doctor’s satchel, framed by horseshoe clasps.
Remember the Damoflage from the first rodeo? It galloped back as a pixelated “cowmooflage” on trucker jackets and trunks. A black bomber, stripped and then reborn with embroidered western florals, sashayed alongside a black Speedy 40 bristling with studs and fringes. Even the bags whispered stories: a monogrammed Speedy, adorned with a key etched with “Louis Vuitton’s Motor Trunks“, hinted at the temporal sweep of the collection.
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Western dress met contemporary cool. We saw fiery red leather rancher suits with twirling lassos, black leather blousons adorned with mock Vegas signage, and workwear such as turquoise riveted double-front trousers and cowboy-print chore jackets. Two models in monogrammed tracksuits reminded us that Western wear was streetwear before there were streets.
Then came the curveballs. Look two paired a Western-cut camel suit with cowboy boots, but the model was carrying a mysterious ergonomic bag, the ‘R-Project‘ – intriguing, isn’t it? And who would have expected a turquoise and rhinestone necklace reminiscent of Queen Victoria’s coronation bling? Oh, and let’s not forget the much-hyped Timberland collaboration: a blown-up version of their iconic boot, complete with gold lace holes and an LV badge.
Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2024 menswear collection was a whirlwind of industry and invention. While the savoir faire was undeniable, the narrative felt a little hazy. Yet it subtly echoed the stories of Bill Pickett, Bass Reeves and other often-overlooked black heroes in America’s vibrant tapestry. This isn’t Williams’ last American chapter, folks. Hold on to your Stetsons, the Louis Vuitton odyssey continues!
Read more: “Les Gastons Vuitton”, Louis Vuitton’s bold new jewelry line for the modern man
©Photo: Louis Vuitton
