Who’s afraid of a little water? Or, in this case, a giant, 30 foot wave? If swimming isn’t really your thing, then we would’ve advised you to stay clear of Louis Vuitton’s SS27 show, which took place last night on the campus grounds of Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris. The beach scene that greeted guests – all sticky sand and crashing water – was so impressive that it harked back to the golden era of excessive show design, when Marc Jacobs rolled an actual steam train into the Louvre, or when Karl Lagerfeld shot a rocket ship into space. If you weren’t lucky enough to catch the wave in action, scroll down for everything that went down at the show.

LOLA BY THE SEA

Before the catwalk started, we caught up with Lola Young about her favourite summer vacation spot, while Tyriq Withers also et us know what he’s -maxxing right now. Also arriving for the front row was menswear ambassador Jeremy Allen White, designers Nigo and Nicolas Ghesquière, actors Miles Caton and Charles Melton, plus Quavo, Skepta, Future and Missy Elliott in a big hat.

WATER IS LIFE

It was only day one of fashion week, but Pharrell has already won the contest for the most impressive show space – the rest can honestly go home. Not only did the creative director transform a university campus into a golden beach, he also somehow managed to summon the power of Poseidon too, with a 30 ft wave made from real cascading water dominating the space, its curving crest crashing onto the sand below. “The wave is the great equaliser. On coasts around the world, the same impulse draws humans towards the tide: towards the monumental force of water, and the rebalancing rhythm of the ride,” said the house in this season’s show notes. “Water courses through the show as a representation of life, opportunity and connection to nature.”

SURF’S UP

So, if you hadn’t already guessed, this season’s collection was all about the figure of the surfer. “Guided by surfing as a worldwide way of life that transcends culture and creed, the Louis Vuitton SS27 men’s collection embraces the sea and shore as spaces of universal human belonging,” described the house.

On the runway, models emerged from beneath the wave’s giant crest wearing clothes that married Pharrell’s streetwear sensibilities with the laidback image of the surfer. Long haired Cali types wore palm tree prints while carrying full-sized LV branded surfboards, while suit jackets were paired with shorts in an act of subtle sartorial liberation. Some actual wetsuits also landed on the runway – a burgundy version, worn with brown trousers, others worn under long coats, and another covered in an all-over monogram print, with the model carrying a matching bike much like a triathlete transitioning from the swim to cycling zones.

WHAT THE SHELL

For SS27, Pharrell was focused on “drawing a parallel between [the] shared sartorial values of the surfer and the dandy at the heart of the house”, which was mostly done through styling and accessories. Amidst a sea of 5-panel caps, perfect for keeping out the beating sun, models also wore big sunnies, carried conch shell accessories, while leather goods were adorned with cute little palm tree charms you might get from a stall by the side of the beach. The aforementioned surfboards reappeared once again to close the show, while the collection’s styling communicated a kind of nonchalant undoneness, with shirts messily tucked into jeans and hoodies pulled high, their drawstrings pulled tight to partially obscure the face.

A GOOD CAUSE

After the show, the house revealed that Pharrell’s surfing extravaganza had actually acted as a gateway to a good cause. In 2023, Louis Vuitton reestablished its environmental commitments with the Regeneration 2030 roadmap, and now, inspired by the SS27 show, its supporting the ocean conservation group Coral Gardeners as part of that. Assisting reef restoration efforts in French Polynesia, the initiative “will support the out-planting of 1,000 corals in the Tiaia restoration site and help restore 250 square metres of reef habitat in 2026.”