Pharrell really is everywhere. Just as we predicted, the reigning Louis Vuitton artistic director, still riding high from his runway debut, has become omnipresent at Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024 — the only way not to be overwhelmed by Pharrell or any of his many brands is to simply not tune in. In that case, your loss!
Since the show-stopping, internet-breaking Louis Vuitton show on June 20, Pharrell has cropped up around town, occasionally joined by wife Helen Lasichanh and child Rocket Williams while en route to front row seats at the excellent Junya Watanabe show, Kim Jones' Dior SS24 presentation, and LOEWE's SS24 runway, where he posed outside with a bodyguard clutching an unmissably bright bag (wait for it...).
The entire Williams clan was obviously decked out in Louis Vuitton and then some. Perpetually clad in his new "Damoflage"-patterned jeans, Pharrell toted arguably the crown jewel of his LV debut, the aforementioned, blinding yellow Speedy bag. Reportedly, that one bag is priced at a staggering $1 million.
Appropriately dubbed the "Millionaire" bag — what, is this Philipp Plein we're talking about here? (Just a joke! Don't hurt me!) — Pharrell's sumptuous new handbag is as fancy as it is hard to ignore.
Why does Pharrell's new LV bag cost $1 million? Glad you asked!
First off, anything with the Louis Vuitton name = $$$, obviously. But, also, the "Millionaire" Speedy bag's value is bumped up by its crocodile leather construction — cut to spec in one of LV's dedicated exotic leather ateliers — the chunky gold chain affixed to its exterior in place of a typical strap, and the diamond padlock fitted to the leather-wrapped zipper.
The indulgent Speedy bag adds an extra dimension of opulence to Pharrell's look, especially with all of Pharrell's new Louis Vuitton clothes and those newly-inverted custom Tiffany sunglasses.
Given all of Pharrell's Louis Vuitton duds and his high-vis appearances, actually, it all kinda feels like a stealth promo for his LV runway show.
If so, that seems perhaps a little unnecessary given how unmissable that presentation was but who am I to judge. Plus, maybe Pharrell is just going to fashion shows because he can.
On the other hand, why the $1 million handbag?
Speaking of Pharrell's bags, we first saw his take on the Louis Vuitton Speedy when we visited the SS24 LV showroom, where all of Pharrell's new designs mingled in a heart-stopping spread of lurid opulence and indulgence.
According to a press release, Pharrell's take on the LV Speedy bag is intended to "[conjure] the attitude and hustle mentality of Canal Street in an everyday icon conceived for every walk of life."
Read: hyperbright colors, contrasting Louis Vuitton monograms so bold that you can see them from outer space, and a variety of sizes, from pint-sized to enormous.
Pharrell's bags also played a big role in his first Louis Vuitton men's campaign, which starred Rihanna, an LV coffee cup, and a handful of those bright, primary color carryalls.
None are as extreme as the $1m crocodile leather Speedy bag that Pharrell himself is toting around town, though.
Presumably, this croc Speedy is either a one-off or an especially rare model created exclusively for VIPs like, well, Pharrell.
Louis Vuitton remains one of the few obstinate luxury labels continuing to produce goods made of extremely expensive exotic leathers like crocodile and ostrich.
Presumably, LV figures that whatever ire it earns from protestors is outweighed by the opportunity to make big bucks selling these ultra-rare handbags and accessories to particularly deep-pocketed clients.
In fact, LV recently amped up its exotics business to compete with Hermès, perhaps its nearest top-top-top-tier leather handbag rival.
Only one of those houses has Pharrell working for them, though.
