Nile Rodgers, disco king and co-founder of the 70s band Chic, treated the audience at the Louis Vuitton SS16 menswear show in Paris to a live performance. Rodgers introduced the collection “by my man Kim Jones” to the audience, before saying: “I hope you think the music is hot ‘cause the clothing is hot.” The expert guitarist then kicked off the show with the band’s classic song “Chic Cheer”.

In recent times, Rodgers has experienced a career comeback. Having worked as a producer for the likes of Britney Spears and David Bowie, he’s best known nowadays for his plucky chord playing on Daft Punk's insanely catchy tune “Get Lucky”. He’s also played Bestival and Glastonbury in the last few years, and rumour has it that he’s been working on some new music with Cara Delevingne. But for his live set at Vuitton, Rodgers strictly stuck to old school classics. Models in globally inspired designs took the runway, as the musician performed Carly Simon’s “Why” (which he co-produced), followed by a rendition of Madonna’s “Like A Virgin”.

“Fashion is a language that reflects different cultures and tribes globally,” said Jones, who along with Donatella Versace, Vivienne Westwood and Neil Barrett, was influenced by the concept of travelling the world. South East Asia, Myanmar and Cambodia were some of the destinations cited by the designer, who mainly sourced inspiration from the silhouettes of Thailand’s Lahu tribe. “The traditional dress of the tribe looks so much like contemporary sportswear,” he explained, as he offered up a collection rife with track tops and running-style shorts. Classical Thai embroidery also delicately accented varsity-style jackets, which looked as if they’d been plucked straight from America’s Ivy League colleges.

On the decision to have Rodgers perform at the show, Jones said: “He was perfect to work with this season as he is somebody that has crossed all boundaries with the many different artists he has collaborated with the world over. Taking those global influences, mixing them together and making a new sound – Nile’s music is a metaphor for the collection.” 

Check out the globetrotting collection above and watch Nile Rodgers perform at the Louis Vuitton show below: