PHOTO: Adekunle Gold spotted with Miguel at Pharrell Williams 2023 Louis Vuitton show in Paris

Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Adekunle Gold spotted with Miguel at Pharrell Williams Louis Vuitton show in Paris.

The point is Louis Vuitton don’t need a camera-shy couturier, mumbling through a mouth full of pins. They want a showman who can harness big teams and even bigger resources to create a blockbuster. Pharrell’s predecessor, the late great Virgil Abloh, started the French house’s pivot into cultural firebrand; Pharrell is here to supercharge it. Sorry folks, but fashion is no longer just about fashion: for better or for worse, it’s now part of the entertainment industry. Pharrell is a hit-maker, he understands the business of being Number One, and that’s what Louis Vuitton and CEO Pietro Beccari are banking on. 

But last night was about much more than silhouettes and fabrics. It was about creating a where-were-you-when moment, and that’s where Pharrell really sealed the deal. Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, Zendaya, Lebron James, Kim Kardashian were all front row, head-bopping to a live orchestra and gospel choir singing “Joy!”

Williams’s first task as artistic director was to take the classic Louis Vuitton motifs, like the monogram and Damier checks, and reinterpret them his way. To wit, the maison’s beloved Speedy bag, originally made of top-notch canvas that helps keep its structure and shape, has been reworked in a buttery leather that Williams describes as “pinchable and collapsible.” The new Speedy—now available in an array of bold colors like yellow, blue, red, and green—can be seen on the arm of Rihanna, who stars in the designer’s first LV campaign.

Speaking of buzz, Williams’s nickname for his design team is “the bee hive,” and you can catch their excitement as they work toward the big debut. “It takes all kinds of bees to make the sweetest honey,” emphasizes Williams as his team converses behind him. While on paper Williams is the artistic director at Louis Vuitton Men’s, he stresses that his collections will be for everyone. “It’s menswear, but I design for humans,” Williams explains, “so there is something for everybody.” It fits into the designer’s ethos; after all, the name of his wellness brand is Humanrace.