Louis Vuitton’s Fall Winter 2024 show was the final destination for the opening day of Men’s Paris Fashion Week. Following his debut at Pont Neuf last summer, Pharrell Williams presented his sophomore collection, inspired by 19th-century America. The looks unveiled at the Jardin d’Acclimatation blended traditional Americana fashion with Indigenous Spirituality and Ecos. Notably, the creative director worked closely with artists from the Dakota and Lakota nations. 

Indigenous Inspiration

Against a backdrop of western canyons, the show opened up with the beating of Native rawhide drums. The Native Voices of Resistance, a Native American powwow group, performed a song composed by Williams and tribal member Lakota “Hokie” Clairmont. 

Yoke tops, leather boots, and cacti embroidery nodded to the American West while earthy tones and turquoise jewelry paid homage to the connection to Mother Earth and spiritual protection. Intentional pops of black, red, yellow, and white symbolized the colors associated with the four directions by the Dakota and Lakota peoples: black for the west, red for the north, yellow for the east, and white for the south.

A significant Native American symbol, the sun — which represents growth through light, heat, and crops — was featured on mustard-yellow and forest-green knit sweaters. Similarly, the thunderbird — a symbol of power, protection, and strength — was featured on a red racing set.

A Digitalized Frontier

Williams merged Old West ideals with 21st-century flair, integrating bedazzled bows with leather chaps and gold-chain bolo ties with denim-on-denim. Embellishments on outerwear ranged from hand-stitched Western flora to imagery of rodeo riders. 

The “Damoflage” presented in his initial collection with Louis Vuitton transformed into a “Cowmooflage” — Pharrell’s interpretation of animal and camo print. This revitalized pattern was printed on an array of pieces: calfskin and puffer jackets, a two-piece suit, and trucker pants. 

Photos courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Snowfall in Jardin d’Acclimatation

Just like every season, Pharrell’s show was a parade of A-listers on the front row. The multicultural list of attendees included international stars such as brand ambassador Jackson Wang, Olympic gold medalist Yuto Horigome, Japanese entertainer Sho Hirano, Latin star Rauw Alejandro, Thai rapper BamBam and actor Taylor Zakhar Perez. 

Jackson wore a knit Louis Vuitton jumper from the Pre-Fall 2024 Men’s collection presented in Hong Kong and accessorized with a wool Louis Vuitton Pearls Beanie. Meanwhile, Yuto Horigome kept warm in a Blanket Coat from the Parisian fashion house’s SS24 collection and Taylor Zakhar Perez added an Americana flair to his look — shorts and a leather varsity jacket — with a black cowboy hat.

An Homage to the Original Cowboys

Nearing the end of the presentation, guests were shocked as the deserted scenery changed before their eyes with a snowfall. Moments later, Pharrell Williams — dressed in bell-bottom jeans, a Human Made tee, and a white cowboy hat — made his appearance. With its Indigenous influence and Western verve, this spectacle evidenced the new creative director’s Americana vision. 

As Williams highlighted, the inclusion of Native American symbolism as well as the predominant casting of models of color, including Lakota Nation member Gunner Jules, was a rightful acknowledgment to the OG cowboys.  “When you see cowboys portrayed you see only a few versions. You never really get to see what some of the original cowboys looked like,” Williams told Vogue. “They looked like us, they looked like me. They looked Black. They looked Native American.” 

Interested in more Fashion Week content? Check out the best-dressed stars on the front rows of Milan here.

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