LE MONDE EST À VOUS / The Spring-Summer 2025 Men’s Collection
The Louis Vuitton SS 2025 Men’s Collection celebrates the humans that co-inhabit the Earth. Zooming out of the planet we call home, it portrays our kind from a solar perspective, humbling in breadth and harmonising in force. As our international community comes together in Paris, Men’s Creative Director, Pharrell Williams, reflects on the unifying spirit of the global mentality of Louis Vuitton. Activating the Maison’s mind-expanding travel gene, the collection illustrates the degrees of similarities that bind us together across the globe. Rendered in the nuances of skin tones of all the humans of the planet – each illuminated by the same sun – through tonal silhouettes crafted with intricate savoir-faire, the collection demonstrates the relationship between macro and micro views of humanity: a diverse species made of the same flesh and blood.
PARIS TO THE WORLD / A community of LVERS
With a panoramic view of the French capital, the show unfolds on the rooftop of La Maison de l’UNESCO to the tones of “Triumphus Cosmos”, a composition written by Pharrell Williams. Constructed in 1958 in the name of uniting humanity in world peace through culture, the site provides the symbolic grounds for a convention of LVERS, the community at the heart of the creative ecosystem that defines the Louis Vuitton Studio Prêt-à-Porter Homme, its ateliers and collaborators. Here, humans of different backgrounds work together towards a shared vision founded in warmth, wellbeing and welcome-ness, reflected in the global network that energises the Maison. Around the world, the LVERS ideology connects likeminded humans in an appreciation for the core values of Louis Vuitton: discernment, savoir-faire and travel as an eternal source of vitality and connection to our shared humanity.
LEADERS OF TOMORROW / The cinematic prelude
The Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2025 Men’s Show opens with a cinematic prelude directed by the creative collective Air Afrique, who also collaborated on graphics and patterns for the collection featured in the film. Captured in La Maison de l’UNESCO where the show takes place, the prelude imagines the diplomats that inhabit its hallways as children – the next generation – attending a lecture by the Swiss curator and art critic Simon Njami, who specialises in African contemporary art and photography. Centred on themes of unity in human diversity and the world of tomorrow, the film is an expression of the inter-generational message at the heart of Air Afrique, an African-French cultural platform dedicated to the expansion of Afro-diasporic arts, conversations and knowledge. “You are the future. The world is your oyster. It’s up to you to reinvent it. It’s up to you to reimagine it.”
GLOBAL DANDIES / Silhouettes
Silhouettes are imbued with the archetypal codes of travellers. As the flying dandy, the pilot inspires elements of aviation dress from cropped tailored jackets and bombers to flight suits and camionneur-collared knitwear. The diplomat informs slender double-breasted coats and suits with the straight or flared sculpting of trousers. Every inch of every garment is heightened in savoir-faire, from the superfine woven facets of fabrics to the microscopic details of embroideries and buttons, a feature amplified in formalwear based on the globetrotting agent. Tracksuits and workwear, refined in construction and cut, are created around the comfort-driven notion of the leisure traveller. The explorer inspires sophisticated interpretations of sportswear reflected in technical and functional expressions, while garments created in the image of football pay homage to the world’s most unifying game.
LOOK CLOSER / Palette and textures
Imagining a solar view of humanity – a zoomed-out perspective on Earth – the collection plays with macro versus micro visions of colour, construction and surface decoration. At a distance, silhouettes appear muted and monotone while, on closer inspection, intricate savoir-faire manifests with sensorial and sensory impact. The effect reflects on the idea of skin, seemingly tonal from afar but technically sophisticated up close. The study inspires a palette rendered in the nuances of skin tones of all the humans of the planet, including the deepest black developed by the Louis Vuitton Studio Prêt-à-Porter Homme. It is illuminated in the tonal styling of looks as well as second-skin garments spun from the finest silks and coloured translucent cloths. Patterns and Monogram are infused with skin-like qualities, woven materials pose as animal hides, and accessories are crafted with the tactility of skin.
BRANDED / Monogram, patterns and graphics
Through the season’s travel-centric magnifying glass, the collection infuses the emblems of Louis Vuitton with sensorial and textural impact. Inspired by the surfaces of skin, the embossed Branded Monogram appears on tonal constructions in ready-to-wear. Evoking animal skin, the Damoflage – the new classic spliced from Damier and camouflage – is adapted into a Snake-o-Flage motif inspired by the graphics of python and realised in textiles. Similarly, ostrich leather inspires a dotted tonal fabric weave. The original Damoflage fades to tonal form, in some expression with the added intrigue of flocked or sequinned chequers. The pattern morphs with the world map in a Map-o-flage motif that also inspires cartographic imagery in foulards and on buttons. Interrupting the collection’s tonality, a multicolour LVERS Damier pattern animates the Maison’s check in jacquards and denim.
AIR AFRIQUE / Artists in residence
The collection features an artistic exchange with the creative collective, Air Afrique, who directed the show’s cinematic prelude and collaborated on logos and patterns. Founded in Paris in 2020, Air Afrique continues the legacy of the defunct Pan-African airline of the same name – airborne between 1961 and 2002 and known for supporting arts on the African continent – by highlighting Afro-diasporic arts, conversations and knowledge through multimedia formats and events. Its members count Lamine Diaoune, Djiby Kebe, Jeremy Konko and Ahmadou-Bamba Thiam. Informed by the check of original Air Afrique trunks, the collective collaborates on a tartan as well as a Damier-infused tartan explored in blueish green and brown nuances in ready-to-wear, scarves, stoles and bags. Air Afrique further co-creates a series of travel-inspired logos.
TOPPINGS / Details
Inviting the spectator to zoom in, every construction is charged with elaborate detail. The buttons of garments and bags become bijou in their own right, encrusted with miniature world maps, airplane ornaments, pearls and crystals. Piping manifests as garlands of tiny pearls etched along the lines of sportswear. A wealth of embroidery techniques take form throughout the collection exemplified in fantasy fair-isle checks created from crystals, pearls and threads, and in a pearl-bedecked windowpane Damier pattern. Belt chains feature in crystal or tiny Monogram links, while belt buckles – some set on rigid braided leather straps – are moulded in clay-effect metal logos embellished with flower elements. Charms and key rings are forged in the images of globes, aliens, planes, trunks, footballs, cassette tapes and flowers.
SOFT LEATHER GOODS / A new bag line
The collection debuts a line of Soft Leather Goods. Comprised of bag icons from the Maison’s heritage – such as the Alma, the Christopher and the Neverfull – which have typically been made in canvas twill, the silhouettes are re-crafted in super supple, highly luxurious leather with aged VVN trimmings and emblazoned with the historic brown Monogram, which has been slightly increased in dimension. The line relaunches emblematic archive shapes including the Danube, the Nile, the Amazon and the Bastille, while multi-pocket adornment reanimates and highlights classic silhouettes such as the Montsouris and the Noe. An exceptional Keepall is covered entirely in rhinestone. All bags in the Soft Leather Goods line are adorned with metal plate charms inspired by archival trunk tags.
TRUNKS / Bags
The illustrious Speedy P9 re-emerges in a series of tonal black adaptations, as well as faded fluo colours as if blanched by the sun, in several sizes including the new Speedy 30. The emblematic new LVERS Damier motif, which scales up the classic Damier chequers and renders them in multi-colour, graces canvas bags embellished with “LVERS United” tags as well as denim jacquard bags offset with Damier silk-print. The black leather of Silhouette bags is imprinted with the skin-like outlines of luggage tags, buckles and straps. A plexiglass Courrier Lozine appears in vibrant red with embossed Monogram. Bags and trunks created as part of the collaboration with Air Afrique are crafted in blueish green tartan and morphed with Damier chequers, and embellished with planet logo tags. Drawing on carrier bags, the leather Packaging line evolves in new colours and in a Messenger shape inspired by the Maison’s shoe boxes. Micro-Perfo bags crafted by aviation artisans appear in tonal black needle-punched Monogram leather across icons. Shiny leather LV Night bags with pearl details take inspiration from bomber jackets. A series of bags are hand-crafted entirely in pearls. Artisanally-amplified exotics with bijou and Monogram elements feature in Speedys and shoppers. The newest evolution in the Horizon line designed by Marc Newson, the collection debuts the Horizon Aluminium suitcase created from state-of-the-art engineering in design and functionality. In keeping with the spirit of the collection, the show features a series of travel-centric silhouettes including the Sirius, the Alma, the Porte and the Never-Everfull, a new travel version of the Neverfull.
FOOTPRINTS / Shoes
Shoes are informed by the archetypal travellers at the heart of the collection. With its square toe and thick leather sole, the LV Agent boot in black or brown glazed leather is imprinted with the outline of tags, echoing the Silhouette bags. It also appears as a Chelsea boot in black or brown glazed leather or tonal black exotics patchwork. With similar features, the LV Diplomat appears in a smaller dimension across lace-ups, Mary-Janes and bow-adorned slippers. Rendered in the skin nuances of the collection, the LV Bowling shoe is an elegant silhouette constructed in nappa leather with a rubber sole. The LV Rider cowboy boot evolves in exotics patchwork in black, brown or tan, in Monogram leather or suede, and in python. The high-top LV Footprint Runner draws on the grammar of motorcycle boots and manifests in mixed leathers in green, red or black. The LV Footprint Soccer is inspired by authentic football boots with cleat soles. With its collapsible heel and rubber sole, the LV Footprint Traveller – crafted in classic Monogram or black leather and black or brown crocodile – is infused with the comfort-driven spirit of the globetrotter. Finally, the Snow Boot is adapted in Damoflage printed on crocodile.
SUPER VISION / Sunglasses
Sunglasses draw on the codes of aviation. The LV Passport is constructed with winged frames – some encrusted with strass – across mask, narrow and square silhouettes, while the LV Supermask is crafted in transparent polyurethane including a multicolour variation. With its edged square lenses coloured in the nuances of skin tones, the LV Flight is created from mixed materials and crystal. The camera-lensed LV Super Vision re-emerges in nylon in round and rectangular shapes. The LV Signature cuts a dandy-esque square frame and materialises in transparent colours. The Millionaire 1.0 sunglasses make a return joined by the new Millionaire 4.0 debuts with skin-toned frames and lenses and shiny Monogram panels realised across several dimensions.
GEAR / Accessories
Aviator caps with pins pay tribute to the pilot while agents’ berets manifest with deep-black flocking, crystal encrustation or blocked into asymmetrical silhouettes. Fully-blocked cowboy hats appear in the skin tones of the collection with Monogram crystal chains, while Crush Beanies appear in Damier, sequinned Damoflage and crystal Monogram; some with pearl accents. Translucent skin-tone socks serve as second skin overlaid with crystals and pearls. Leather and velvet gloves draw on spy codes with moto details and pearl adornment. Foulards are emblazoned with world maps, Map-o-Flage, LVERS Damier printed over photos of Paris, and Damier-infused bandana motifs with photographic jewellery prints. Classic silk ties and bowties amplify formal codes alongside silky bandeaus, opera scarves and cummerbunds.
GEMS / Jewellery
The spirit of the travelling dandy manifests in tennis necklaces and bracelets as well as infinity rings in nuances of coloured crystal. The volume increases in fantasy wedding rings with chunky coloured gems set on golden bands with diamond cut-outs, and in giant gem hat pins. Jewels fit for the explorer count double gilded compass brooches connected by golden chains, gilded sun-ray explorer brooches festooned with pearls, and rotating map pendants on strass-encrusted logo chains. Pearl stud earrings – some with pearl drop pendants – appear alongside Damier-patterned pavé earrings underling the microscopic-detail sensibility of the collection. Resin encased with pearl and Monogram elements become cuffs, necklaces, links, and tiny trunk pendants. Flight insignia brooches with gems and enamel cement a globetrotting sentiment.
TRIUMPHUS COSMOS / Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2025 Men’s Show features three original pieces produced by Pharrell Williams: “Triumphus Cosmos” by Pharrell Williams; “Birds Don’t Sing” by Clipse (feat. John Legend); and “Falling Up” by Adekunle Gold, Pharrell Williams and Niles Rodgers, all performed live by Voices of Fire choir and L’Orchestre du Pont Neuf.
LVERS – LES PARFUMS LOUIS VUITTON / Fragrance
In his first creative exchange with Les Parfums Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams captures the light in the essence of LVERS: a highly crafted fragrance founded in his philosophy of sunlight as a metaphor for love and a source of life and motivation across human experiences. Soothing and strengthening, it is an extract of energy: a perfume of opportunity and enhancement, which echoes the question posed upon the Men’s Creative Director’s arrival at Louis Vuitton: “What will you do when the sun shines on you?” LVERS was created by the Maison’s Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud. It is composed from notes of galbanum, cedarwood, sandalwood, ginger and bergamot.
Show soundtrack by Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams ‘Triumphus Cosmos’
Composed by Pharrell Williams
Arranged & orchestrated by Pharrell Williams and Shelly Berg
Additional orchestration and revision by Thomas Roussel
Courtesy of Sony Music Publishing
Clipse ft. John Legend ‘Birds Don’t Sing’
Composed & written By Pharrell Williams, Terrence Thornton, Gene Thornton, John Roger Stephens
Arranged and orchestrated by Larry Gold and Thomas Roussel
Courtesy of Def Jam/Universal Music, BMG & Sony Music Publishing
Adekunle Gold ft. Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers ‘Falling Up’
Composed & written by Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers, Adekunle Gold, Ari PenSmith, Michael Bakare & Oniyide Azeez
Orchestral and choir arrangement by Thomas Roussel
Courtesy of Universal Music, Kobalt Music Publishing, Sony Music Publishing & Warner Chappell.
All transitions composed & arranged by Pharrell Williams, orchestrated by Thomas Roussel
Soundtrack performed by Voices of Fire and l’Orchestre du Pont Neuf
Piano by Isata Kanneh-Mason (Decca Classics)
Conducted by Thomas Roussel
Set Design, Show Direction and Production by Villa Eugénie