Only the second richest man in the world can do that. In order to give his new designer at Louis Vuitton men’s a spectacular debut, Bernard Arnault had the entire neighborhood around the oldest bridge in the city, the Pont Neuf, blocked off. This allowed the pop star Pharrell Williams to hold his first fashion show there on Tuesday evening at sunset – followed by a concert by the most important living rapper, Jay-Z. Yes, it couldn’t get any smaller, because Louis Vuitton now sees itself not only as a luxury fashion and leather goods brand but also as a cultural patron. Arnault donates a lot and regularly in Paris, such as the Jardin d’Acclimatation in the 16th arrondissement next to his Fondation Louis Vuitton, designed by Frank Gehry, where you can currently see Warhol and Basquiat. Hence, this exception with regard to stopping traffic is made by mayor Anne Hidalgo, which is hard to imagine in Germany. The Pont Neuf is strategically located for Arnault: at the foot of the Louis Vuitton headquarters, next to his new luxury hotel, Cheval Blanc, and the department store La Samaritaine. So, it was a fantastic show of power by the ruler of the LVMH empire, and every balcony, whether in the hotel suites or on the opposite side in the residential buildings in the sixth arrondissement, was filled with people who wanted to watch the spectacle.

And Pharrell Williams delivered. He presented a show that covered the entire spectrum of men’s wardrobes, from classic tailoring like the first look of a gray jacket to high streetwear with many logos, leather bomber jackets, representing the signs of the times with androgyny and men in skirts. Taking the classic Damier pattern and reassembling it in the style of a pixel artist like Reinhard Voigt (who did this with Akris) to create a kind of camouflage was brilliant. All the coats, as well as the shoes and bags in Pharrell’s self-named “Damouflage,” were strong. The collection bears Pharrell’s “signature” not least because you could imagine the designer himself in every look. He is known for his eccentric but clear fashion messages, where he often decorates a few brooches on his chest or hasn’t taken off his round Tiffany sunglasses for what feels like a year. Pharrell Williams, Karl Lagerfeld’s friend, who once dressed him in traditional Chanel jackets for a show in Salzburg (of course, Williams looked good in them). He has already collaborated with Moncler to create down jackets that looked like bulletproof vests, worked with Marc Jacobs when he was still at Vuitton, released sunglasses, and always presented himself as a fashion muse wherever he appeared. Especially on the stage of Coachella nine years ago when he performed the hit “Get Lucky” with Daft Punk in Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent tuxedo. He has always been a trendsetter, like with his giant hats made by Vivienne Westwood, which he has also auctioned off. Williams, therefore, knows about clothing, and while his predecessor Virgil Abloh sometimes showed collections that were out of this world and often inspired by architecture, this very clear luxury men’s fashion show by Williams was a pleasant surprise.

Back to Basquiat in the Arnault Art Hall or LeBron James, Rihanna, Beyoncé, or Lenny Kravitz in the front row. Arnault understands capturing the relevance of the Black community like no other by bringing in Abloh or now Williams to key positions in his empire. Not to mention the Jay-Z and Beyoncé Tiffany ad campaign, where a Basquiat hangs in the background. Williams’ Vuitton show was enjoyable because at its core, it was a fashion show that turned into a concert. His best idea was not a piece of clothing, though: the drivers of the golf carts that followed the cast carrying the huge Vuitton suitcases were white models.