Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2026
At Louis Vuitton, the line between spectacle and satire blurred entirely. Pharrell Williams’ Fall/Winter 2026–2027 menswear collection, titled Welcome to Vui-Lago, unfolded at the Fondation Louis Vuitton as a surreal, high-shine fantasy set somewhere between a beachside utopia and a fever dream of luxury excess. The show’s centrepiece, a teardrop-shaped “DROPHAUS” designed in collaboration with the Tokyo firm Not A Hotel, was described as having fallen from the sky, though it felt more like a symbol of Vuitton’s current mood: concept over clarity. Inside this mirrored universe, the house continued to rework its language of travel and prestige, this time filtered through Pharrell’s playful, if sometimes perplexing, lens.
Clothing leaned heavily into Vuitton’s idea of futurism as texture and shine. Reflective tailoring, aluminium-infused denim and metallic silks replaced traditional materials, creating an illusion of innovation even as familiar shapes returned. Suits came boxy and exaggerated, paired with mock necks and reversible nylon parkas that hinted at the late eighties and early nineties. It was part boardroom, part backstage dressing room, and entirely theatrical. Accessories stole much of the attention: Speedy bags covered in crystal droplets, mink bum bags trimmed in gold, and crocodile clutches shaped like televisions. The tone oscillated between absurdity and allure, which is perhaps the new definition of luxury at Vuitton.
What stood out, however, was the show’s willingness to embrace contradiction. Beneath the glow-in-the-dark leathers and jewel-encrusted logos, there was still a fascination with craftsmanship and storytelling, even if the narrative was fragmented. Pharrell’s role as creative director remains a point of speculation, yet his influence is visible in the brand’s continued appetite for spectacle and cultural remixing. If the goal was to make Vuitton feel like an idea rather than an object, Vui-Lago succeeded. It was a reminder that in today’s fashion landscape, the fantasy often matters more than the fit.
