Olympic State Dinner VS Olympic LVMH Prelude, or what actually happened? Story by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Creative concept : Runway Magazine. Photo / Video Courtesy: Arturo Holmes / Ludovic Marin / POOL / AFP / Jeanne Accorsini /SIPA / LVMH.
Olympic State Dinner at the Louvre
On July 25, the Louvre Pyramid became the center of a spectacular state dinner ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, gathering over 500 guests from around the world. This prestigious event, organized since the Sochi 2014 Olympics, was a blend of culinary excellence and diplomatic finesse, orchestrated by the esteemed French chef Alain Ducasse.
Among the distinguished guests were notable figures from various sectors. Brigitte Macron, the wife of the French President, was present alongside royalty such as King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark, Princess Anne of the United Kingdom, and the Belgian monarchs King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco also attended, along with Jill Biden, representing the United States.
The dinner was also graced by high-profile personalities from the entertainment and business worlds. Celebrities like Salma Hayek and her husband François-Henri Pinault, the CEO of Kering, and actor John McEnroe with his wife Patty Smyth, were among the attendees.
This grand evening highlighted France’s tradition of “gastrodiplomie,” using the art of fine dining to foster international relations and celebrate the Olympic spirit. The event under the Louvre Pyramid set a majestic stage for the upcoming festivities, showcasing a perfect harmony of culture, diplomacy, and sportsmanship.
But where were Bernard Arnault and Pharrell Williams? Why did they hold a special LVMH Prelude Olympics dinner at the same time?
Last night’s Olympic State Dinner was the glittering event of the season, attended by dignitaries and top athletes. But guess who was missing? Bernard Arnault and Pharrell Williams. Did they skip the biggest dinner in Paris? Oh no, they were busy throwing their own ultra-exclusive LVMH Prelude Olympics dinner. Because why attend a prestigious event when you can host your own party, right?
Instead of gracing the State Dinner, Arnault and Pharrell threw a bash at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, complete with a three-lane track instead of a red carpet. Anna Wintour, also not invited to the State Dinner, pulled in every designer she could find to sprinkle some extra stardust on the occasion. Pharrell Williams, apart from skinning crocodiles alive for his Louis Vuitton Lovers millionaire bags (latest PETA report about skinning alive crocodiles, and PETA report about skinning alive pythons), presented another Crocodile bag to the Olympic Champions and Stars.
Quick detour from the party to skinning alive crocodiles and pythons for the Pharrell’s, son of a …. Pharaoh, fashion pleasure and taste
Peta report
When challenged over his use of fur, Pharrell dismissively said, “It’s a design thing … it is what it is.” His indifference to animal exploitation condemns snakes, ostriches, crocodiles, and minks to a painful death at an abattoir. Pharrell is callously ignoring the following cruelty:
- Workers at a supplier to Louis Vuitton’s parent company bash pythons with steel hammers before suspending them by the jaw and pumping them full of water. They then slit the snakes open with razorblades. A reptile expert who watched the footage confirmed it’s probable that the pythons were “conscious across all stages” of the attempted slaughter.
- Ostriches used for Louis Vuitton’s textured purses suffer in barren feedlots before they’re forced into giant kill boxes, flipped upside down, and electrically stunned, after which their throats are slit in full view of their terrified flockmates.
- On crocodile farms that supplied skin to Louis Vuitton’s parent company, the animals were packed together in concrete pits – some of which were narrower than the length of their body.
- Most of the world’s fur comes from fur factory farms, where animals are confined to cramped wire cages that are often caked with hair, faeces, and rotting food. Many of the animals slowly go insane from the stress of intensive confinement before being gassed, electrocuted, or killed in other crude ways.
PETA’s US Senior Vice President Lisa Lange invited the musician to tour a crocodile factory farm to see how the creatures are treated prior to slaughter.
She said: “We’d like to invite you on a less-than-luxurious tour of a filthy (for that’s what they are) crocodile factory farm with us to see the living origins of your ‘Millionaire’ bag.
“You’d want to bring along nose plugs and high boots to wade through fetid, waste-filled water. If we go to an indoor tank, also bring a flashlight, because you won’t see daylight. There are no blurred lines here. Killing wildlife for a bag isn’t cool – it’s cold.”
LVMH Prelude Olympics dinner
Guests at this private soirée indulged in crispy langoustines and green vegetable tartlets by Michelin-starred chef Jean Imbert. They strolled past poster-size photo prints and Olympic medals—oh, and Alexandre Arnault’s New York City Marathon medal, because why not? It’s not like that has anything to do with the Olympics, but sure, let’s flaunt it.
The dress code was “medal worthy,” and attendees like Dr. Jill Biden, Steven Spielberg, Zendaya, and Snoop Dogg took it seriously. Pharrell gave a speech, no doubt dripping with sincerity, about the phenomenal upcoming Olympics, and Comcast NBCUniversal’s donation to the Olympic Refuge Foundation was mentioned, adding a veneer of philanthropy to the extravagance.
The night saw a bevy of stars flexing their skills at a game night-themed fête. Charlize Theron, Serena Williams, Rosalía, and Omar Sy co-hosted the event, while celebs like Cindy Bruna and Christian Louboutin focused on a massive foosball table. LeBron James, Devin Booker, Angel Reese, and Jayson Tatum mingled, Jeremy Allen White channeled his inner Olympian at the claw machine, and Rosalía and Simon Porte Jacquemus served as enthusiastic cheerleaders.
It felt like Arnault and Pharrell were hosting their own “LVMH State Dinner” in some parallel universe where LVMH is its own nation, complete with its own flag and anthem. The whole affair was an absurd display of wealth and exclusivity, almost a parody of itself. Hosting this event was downright unethical, especially in front of the International Olympic Committee. It’s like they wanted to prove they could outshine the Olympics themselves. If the goal was to be the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons, mission accomplished!
