In Hong Kong, Pharrell Williams makes a big splash with his second Louis Vuitton show

Welcome to Hong Kong, a former British colony ceded to China that, if lacking the youthful “coolness” of Seoul, has established itself as the new Eldorado of luxury brands, but remains the age-old gateway to the Asian world. . Therefore, it is this bay and city that has been a fantasy since the dawn of time, when Pharrell Williams chose to present his second collection for Louis Vuitton men, following a stratospheric debut in Paris last June; A fashion show on the Pont Neuf that was considered historic. its scale and impact.

Louis Vuitton is well established in Hong Kong with seven stores, the first of which opened in 1979 at The Peninsula Hotel. The history of the trunk manufacturer and China is in the past. The Paris-Beijing Expedition in 1907 or the famous Yellow Cruise of 1931, both equipped with LV-branded cars. Much later, China was one of the first countries to open up to Western luxury and welcomed the French brand, which spread across the territory – 62 boutiques – and gained a solid knowledge of this market, which is fully recovering. As luxury rebounds in China after a slowdown, its domestic customers are once again consuming within their own borders.

Hong Kong as the setting for this Fall 2024 fashion show isn’t just a choice of images. It is clearly strategic and economic, sending a strong message to the Asian community, which was over-represented on Thursday night by stars and influencers from across the continent; China, of course, first of all, Hong Kong, but also Taiwan, Korea and even Japan. .

THE: first row single handedly presented millions of future events through opinion leaders – actors, pop stars or influencers – the superpowers: Felix, Song Jungki, Zhu Yilu, TNT group, Dylan Wang and other Hins Qiu, who are not necessarily famous in France, but extremely famous in this in the field. peaceful area. The only French who is somewhat lost in this particular community. the young men with the body of manga dolls, Tahar Rahim, a solid actor who already has a foot in Hollywood and wisely splits between Marvel and more “authentic” films (be it Aznavour in Grand Corps Malade and Mehdi Idir in the biopic released in October 2024).

In February 2023, the Pharrell Williams show, appointed as Virgil Abloh’s successor at Louis Vuitton Men, was set to make another big splash. It was so. It took place on the Avenue of Stars, the legendary 440-metre promenade that borders Tsim Sha Tsui’s eastern seafront and Victoria Harbor and its postcard beauty. This avenue, with its magnificent slender buildings that capture the sky, is the epicenter of culture created in Hong Kong; more than a hundred handprints of famous people decorate the place. The weather was not particularly good on Thursday evening, but the heavy and cloudy sky did not in any way change this spectacular decor of illuminated “skyscrapers” that lined the impeccable modern skyline of the metropolis.

Pharrell Williams does not come from fashion, but perhaps even better, from pop culture, which stems from hip-hop, fueled by various urban influences, but from which this “global” artistic director, known for his good taste, did something unique. We will even be tempted to say that the second collection of this 50-year-old American, with a youthful figure, is superior to the first. Sixty-four pop looks, ready-to-wear, streetwear but not too much, tropical – Hawaiian prints – some moments vintage – 50’s American sailor hats – she takes several directions while maintaining a very thoughtful chic line; bling touches noticed in the first collection have largely faded in favor of a crisp, dynamic, elegant silhouette that will appeal to both Californians and Koreans with a lot of originality. In short, once again Pharrell Williams remains faithful to the imperatives of the time. he is truly multicultural and seems at ease in all the universes he approaches.

At the end of this spectacular show, thousands of drones drew images in the milky sky: a constellation, garbage, then these huge letters: “LV Lovers”. Pharrell Williams then appeared to greet the superstar, white suit, sailor cap and his signature little diamond sunglasses. With his models, joined like a family, to a new soundtrack signed by Swae Lee himself and Raul Alejandro, which would become a hit on Spotify and elsewhere, he then single-handedly embodied the power of the star system here. moved into the world of fashion.