India is at the heart of Louis Vuitton 2026 Menswear

 ©️  Alessandro Viero / Gorunway.com

This year, Pharrell Williams took his LV team on a trip to India and came back with a collection embedded in the visual and cultural codes of the country.

Presented yesterday at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2026 menswear show opened on a life-sized snakes and ladders board — a direct reference to the Indian origins of the game.

India’s presence came through in fragments. Frogs — which filled the garden of architect Bijoy Jain during the LV team’s visit to Studio Mumbai — were turned into prints, jewelry, and appliqués, becoming the season’s recurring animal motif. Cricket references appeared in striped ties and a V-neck jumper detailed with a jeweled neckline. Several outerwear pieces were printed with fonts and faded textures resembling the hand-painted street signs observed in Delhi, Mumbai, and Jaipur.

A more discreet reference to the country came through the revival of Louis Vuitton’s 2006 luggage set, originally designed by Marc Jacobs for The Darjeeling Limited. The film — directed by Wes Anderson — follows three estranged brothers on a train journey across India, carrying the luggage of their deceased father. Designed in collaboration with Anderson and based on archival Vuitton models, the original trunks were crafted in calf leather and adorned with initials and animal illustrations by Eric Anderson: giraffes, antelopes, rhinos, palm trees. Pharrell brought those same drawings back this season, reimagined on damier canvas bags and ready-to-wear. Some looks featuring the motif were worn by members of Pharrell’s family, styled in layered shirting and denim.

The Darjeeling Limited – Original Design

Accessories followed the same thread: Speedy bags in deep orange and blue tones, carpet-textured finishes, and sunglasses trimmed with rounded metal protectors, echoing the metal corners of classic Vuitton travel trunks.

The show featured 76 looks and was accompanied by a live soundtrack from Voices of Fire and l’Orchestre du Pont Neuf.