Vogue Chaos Issue 10: Louis Vuitton and the Cult of Celebrity

A review of Pharrell's review-proof debut at Louis Vuitton

When Pharrell was brought in as the creative director, we all knew what we were in for - hypebeast collections and celebrity endorsements. Even before the much anticipated show, we had a campaign with a pregnant Rihanna for their menswear show. There were several teasers to the pixelated camo print which already scared me because you know, camo. Even though it’s a reference to his work with Nigo on BAPE and Billionaire Boy’s Club (Read more about it here) and the Louis Vuitton 2018 Pixel Damiere bags, I fail to see how that in any way increases the validity of the designs at hand. The pearl looks are a reference to his work at Chanel and the sunglasses are a flipped version of his work with Tiffany, or as it is better described, an appropriation of an old Mughal design without credit.

Now that we have laid out all the ‘references’, let’s think a moment about why hypebeasts think it matters? ‘This was because of this……was because of this….’ is a line of reasoning I can’t get behind unless the final product was worth it. Are we so deep into the lore of a celebrity that their canon events matter to us so much? Everyone who has called me names so far has not once mentioned the actual clothes. Probably because it was never about the clothes, it’s always been about everything surrounding them. Louis Vuitton makes no secret of it, they call themselves a cultural brand beyond fashion. So the evaluation of this show can be done from a cultural lens, which I won’t attempt to do, and the other from a fashion lens which you are about to read below.

Let’s talk about the theatre for a moment because LV went above and beyond for this show. The entire center of Paris was blocked from 3pm to midnight which took place on the Pont Neuf bridge on the Seine. The bridge was decked out in the LV Damier in beige and yellow. The front row was star studded with Beyonce, Jay Z, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Zendaya, among other LV ambassadors and celebrities. Taking a page from the book of Kerby Jean-Raymond, there was a live gospel choir that moved the audience with their rendition of ‘Joy’ and left everyone much more open to whatever looks were to follow.

The first few looks were heavy on the pixelated camo which brought to mind the recent Loewe pixel collection. Even though Louis Vuitton did pixel Damier bags in just 2018, the recency of another pixel collection this very year could not be ignored, especially because it was so good, captured the zeitgeist, hurt our eyes but filled our hearts with errr, joy. The word ‘minecraft’ was used which ruffled some feathers. Camo is always going to be controversial because it’s a universally hated print which people try to ironically wear as a signal to some kind of covert coolness. With both these phenomenon intertwined, we are at an impasse.

Skirts-suits and shorts-suits have been a trend since the past few seasons for menswear so even though these looks were good, they were nothing we have not seen before. The denim pixel looks reinforced the Loewe nod. Jonathan himself posted a photo with the caption ‘bravo’ with so many hearts that the comments are filled with people laughing at the implied shade. Was it really? I don’t know, but I did conduct a poll.

The moneymaker from this collection were the accessories and we got some really cool bags if you are into the LV monogram and check. Replacing canvas with real leather for the Speedy, he changed the silhouette of the bag as it became more soft and squishy. The buggies carrying LV trunks driven by very serious models were a highlight for me, camo just goes well with trunks. With budgets as high as LV which dominates the high fashion and luxury market, is it too much to expect innovation and a move forward? In his show notes, Pharrell says, “This moment is dedicated to the giant before me. To our brother in spirit.”, implying that he wants to respect Virgil’s legacy at the brand. In a narcissistic show that brought back his own moments from all his previous collections, I find this sentiment insincere but do applaud the intention.

While alive, Virgil was a polarising character in fashion but his name was on everyone’s lips and imaginations and he got this platform because he was a part of Louis Vuitton. He took that stage and brought about a cultural revolution. This is why I feel that when Martine Rose, Bianca Saunders, and Grace Wales Bonner were rumoured to be up for the role, they should have bagged it to be afforded the same chance. And that is the agenda I’m pushing.

We keep coming back to the same themes again and again - what is the role of a creative director? Is it a brand ambassador? Is design knowledge important or cultural capital is enough? Does reference trump design? We might never move forward in these discussions, probably always in circles much like a hamster wheel. Clothes are such a silly non-issue sometimes outside of this insular world of high fashion.

Verdict: Presentation 8/10, Clothes 5/10.