Louis Vuitton Spring Summer 2026 Men. Presented under the glorious glass intestines of Centre Pompidou. Starring: crocodile bags, sticker-book trunks, and the ghosts of creativity past. Story by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: Louis Vuitton.

There are days in fashion history when you witness a revolution. And then there are days when you attend a Louis Vuitton show and seriously consider if everyone in the room is pretending to see something that isn’t there — out of politeness, confusion, or sheer fear of Beyoncé’s glare.

Welcome to the Louis Vuitton Men Spring-Summer 2026 collection — or as we now call it: The Great Levi’s Garage Sale, with Crocodile Trimmings.

This season’s grand “narrative” was supposedly about a journey “from Paris to India,” though one suspects the team may have taken a wrong turn somewhere around a vintage store in Brooklyn. Pharrell Williams — musical “geniecillo”, current creative director, and eternal fan of crocodile carcasses — has managed to produce a collection so monumentally dull, so void of new ideas, that it almost deserves admiration.

Imagine raiding your dad’s storage unit for old jeans, slapping on some palm tree stickers, and charging €3,000 per piece. Voilà. Fashion.

TRAVELING WITHOUT MOVING

The press release claims the collection “illuminates the influence of modern Indian sartorialism,” which apparently now includes clipart rhinos, faded stripes, and garments that resemble forgotten laundry. Somewhere, the Maharajas are weeping.

And what a scenographic dialogue it was. A life-sized board game of “Snakes and Ladders” served as the runway — symbolic, perhaps, of the exact experience of trying to find creativity in this collection. You climb a ladder of hope after the first look, only to land squarely on the snake of disappointment by the fifth denim short suit.

FROM DANDY TO DULL

Ah, dandyism. The collection promised us sun-drenched elegance, mismatched patterns, trompe l’oeil checks, and “weathered” cloth. In reality, it delivered outfits that looked like your uncle’s mismatched golf attire after a bad day at the flea market. The color palette was allegedly inspired by India’s natural tones. But when purple is the new black and brown is the new indigo, one wonders if the dye house simply ran out of everything else.

ACCESSORIES FROM THE SAVANNAH OF CORPORATE IDEAS

Crocodile bags returned (again), because nothing says fresh new vision like repeating the same ethically-questionable handbag in a new Navy Blue color. This time, the beloved Speedy P9 came dressed in pastel ostrich and painted stripes — just in case your local zoo-themed gala had a dress code.

There were also bags featuring motifs from The Darjeeling Limited, a film Louis Vuitton clings to like a security blanket. Bags dipped in color, printed with vintage hotel stickers, or adorned with semi-precious stones desperately tried to convince us this was all “high concept.” Sadly, they looked more like a child had gone wild with a Bedazzler and an old copy of National Geographic.

ZOOMING INTO… WHAT, EXACTLY?

Pharrell’s vision of savoir-faire involves hand-embroidered stones, lace, and micro-beads on hiking suits. Because when you’re glamping in Rajasthan, obviously you’ll need a check shell suit woven in metal yarn. One imagines this will come in handy should you need to reflect sunlight, repel tigers, or conduct electricity.

THE ELEPHANT (AND ZEBRA, AND PALM TREE) IN THE ROOM

Perhaps the pièce de resistance — or insult — were the cheerful zoo-animal cliparts slapped onto jackets, trunks, and leather bags. Elephants, zebras, and palm trees, all rendered with the charm of 2006 PowerPoint WordArt. If this was meant as an homage to India, someone should’ve asked India first. Cultural homage via sticker set? Groundbreaking.

“Pharr‑out Animal” bag line for Louis Vuitton Spring Summer 2026 Men

Enter the crown jewel—no, the crown frog—of the so-called “Pharr‑out Animal” bag line. Who is going to kiss this one? Because apparently, turning high‑end luggage into a frog’s worst daydream is exactly what couture needed in 2026. These monogram hopping monstrosities lounge around like amphibian royalty, reinterpreting “bag” as “sentient pond dweller,” complete with legs and an expression that screams, “I’m fabulous, but also mildly traumatized.” And just when you think it couldn’t get any more surreal, there’s the elephant bag—because nothing says practicality like carrying a pachyderm over your shoulder. Sure, Louis Vuitton’s craftsmanship is flawless , but one begins to suspect Pharrell’s brief was less “Men’s Spring” and more “Children’s Abnormal.” Bravo on the artistry—now someone pass the fly repellent.

IN CONCLUSION: GLAMPING IN A CREATIVE VOID

So what did we learn? That luxury can be utterly boring if you say it loud enough, that Pharrell still really loves exotic skins, and that Beyoncé’s poker face is Oscar-worthy.

If this was a game of Snakes and Ladders, Louis Vuitton just landed on the snake of creative stagnation. Let’s hope the next roll gets them back on the ladder. Or at least to an original idea.

Suggested retail price for faded jeans with a clipart rhino: €2,890.
Emperor’s new clothes? Available in crocodile. Who is going to buy these… I wonder….

See All Looks Louis Vuitton Spring Summer 2026 Men