The Tamesis
It’s been three years since Pharrell Williams made cameo designs for Louis Vuitton menswear in 2004 and 2008. During this period (a typical single track for creative director contracts in the fashion industry), the luxury industry in which LV was the titular brand experienced some extremely rough weather. Yet despite the cynicism some felt about his appointment, Williams has proven himself to be a fashion starchitect: in addition to curating some of the decade’s greatest shows (especially the first one), the Louis Vuitton menswear ateliers have flourished under his watch.
A recurring narrative idea the studio emphasized when working with Williams on the series was that they were outfitting a weatherman sent on a mission who arrived with no luggage and in desperate need of a coat. While Williams’ Americana is essential to his voice, the more casual elements of the collection suggest that, after three years in Paris, his accent is becoming truly Gallic.
By applying a music producer’s mindset, he’s launched a collection filled with thoughtfully reworked samples from classic French wearables from the ’80s and ’90s. Leather shoulder vests and jackets, with cursive labels, remind me of iconic French brands Chipie and Chevignon. There’s a palladium-adjacent footprint on lugged commando-sole loafers and boots, while a comic strip print telling the story of a weatherman is distantly reminiscent of Moncler’s Monduck care label (which first launched when the brand was in France). Taken from an earlier chapter of the French canon incredible The storm-visible yellow Breton fisherman’s coat is made of waterproof leather, a classic style that has been imitated before by designers such as Saint Laurent, Cardin and Gaultier.
Leather chinos with raised embroidery signaled readiness, while the “wash” of a “leather denim” look was laser-drawn into comic-like panels of travelogue illustrations, a new example of the studio’s research and development in the manufacture of upholstery materials. Likewise, real indigo denim jackets and pants feature raised 3D printed mud effects on the edges. After that, the overall look with monogram stitching on overalls duck canvas looks very simple but still very handsome.
The silhouette fluctuates back and forth from slightly larger to slightly smaller. From a brand that always rises and falls with its bag offerings, we’ve seen a number of interesting new/old innovations, including a rectangular shoulder reporter/camera bag called Nils. There were plenty of other interesting vibes to appreciate in this collection, which seemed to re-articulate niche menswear formulas through technology-driven savoir-faire and progressive thinking.
