In his first campaign for Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams ignites his vision for the Maison’s Spring 2024 men’s collection with the new Speedy contextualized in imagery featuring Rihanna. It represents the union of two everyday icons: a luxury bag founded in codes of reality, embodied by an artist of universal human appeal.

The new Speedy is informed by the cosmopolitan nucleus that inspired Pharrell Williams’ early education in luxury: Canal Street on Lower Manhattan, New York City; a cultural axis invigorated by a diverse energy and hustle mentality echoed in corresponding streets around the metropoles of the world. Evolved from the classic Speedy – one of the first bags Pharrell Williams owned – the new Speedy conjures through the inimitable savoir-faire of the Maison a visual language evocative of the codes and stylistic attitude of Canal Street. It is an everyday icon conceived for every walk of life.

The campaign serves as an offset to the creative direction of Pharrell Williams at the Louis Vuitton Studio Prêt-à-Porter Homme. Released in tandem with the Spring-Summer 2024 Men’s Show, it employs thought-provoking imagery not simply as an illustration of the collection but as part of the proposal itself. The image is an artefact created to alter perceptions, challenge history, and evolve an existing legacy. Personified by a pregnant Rihanna – a symbol of human empowerment and the quintessential everyday icon – the men’s campaign reflects the re-contextualization at the core of Pharrell Williams’ approach to the Maison.

Imbued with real-life sensibilities, the new Speedy honors the trapezoid lines of the classic Speedy but appears in supple grained calf leather lined in the finest lambskin. The softened construction enables the bottom of the bag to collapse and drape the way it would through everyday wear and gestures. The silkscreen-printed Monogram induces a blurry, artisanal and almost hand-painted effect, rendered in several colours across nine dimensions.