Pharrell Williams continues to serve as a multi-hyphenate creative for Louis Vuitton who is able to bring buzz to the house with his vast network and strong ties to culture. But as each of his collections become more somber and sedated, one gets the feeling that he’s been tasked with making his design proposition as palatable as possible. The clothes are beautifully crafted and he always moves accessories into new territories, but is that enough?
From the looks to the set, sound, and more, here is Complex Style’s PFW Report Card for Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall/Winter 2026.
With access to the Louis Vuitton atelier, it’s hard to make hideous clothes, but this appeared to be very safe. Maybe that’s because this season Pharrell focused on textile innovation that you couldn’t detect on a runway. He merged performance materials with luxury pieces. For example, technical yarns were reflective under light and certain shirts and coats were constructed with aluminum textile that had a crinkle effect. Pharrell is clearly leaning into a more classic and clean territory, focusing on craftsmanship. But were they memorable? Did they reflect a strong point of view? Or push any needle? Or say anything new about menswear? Not really.
Pharrell continues to bring newness to accessories including the Speedy bag, making a reversible version along with a glow in the dark style. Other handbags came in new, more utilitarian iterations made from silk nylon that’s waterproof and anti-wrinkle. He also played with the classic patent leather Vernis bags, but replaced leather with a more pliable suede. The trunks felt even more luxurious, coming in stained glass. For footwear, he continued his puffy flips of the classic BBC Board Flips. He also introduced the LV Drop, a slim runner that came in suede and another version covered in small droplets, a recurrent motif. Accessories feel like the category where Pharrell is having the most fun and being inventive.
The show venue was flanked by a live orchestra and a choir, which has become Pharrell’s signature at the shows. Pharrell played new songs that he produced in LV’s headquarters by John Legend, ASAP Rocky, Jackson Wang, with a feature from Pusha T, and Quavo. The music was rousing inside, but it felt sanitized. Pharrell is known for bringing new and unusual sounds to pop, rap, and R&B. These songs lacked those unexpected and unforgettable sonics.
Working with Not a Hotel, a Japanese architecture firm, Pharrell designed a midcentury modern glass house, called the Drophaus, and placed it in the center of the venue. It was gorgeous and intriguing, filled with original furniture also designed by Pharrell (under the label Homework).
Some of his newly named men’s ambassadors including Future, Skepta, and Miles Caton were in attendance. Other included SZA, Chris Brown, Jackson Wang, Malice, and Pusha T, who walked the show.
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