This week, Louis Vuitton released an online campaign directed by Brick’s Ebony Beach Club, a Black-led surf and cultural community out of Southern California, featuring Mikey February in the barrel – a teaser for their Paris Fashion Week show.
On Tuesday, in Paris, the runway was made of sand, an artificial hollow wave breaking in the backdrop as men walked out carrying LV logoed surfboards, some in monogrammed wetsuits, showcasing the full Spring/Summer 2027 men’s collection.
The house also used the moment to highlight their environmental commitments. As part of their Regeneration 2030 roadmap, Louis Vuitton announced their support of Coral Gardeners, a reef restoration organisation founded in French Polynesia by Titouan Bernicot alongside surfers and freedivers who have transplanted corals across Moorea and at the infamous Teahupo’o on the main island of Tahiti. The brand also noted that the water used for the wave would be sourced from Eaux de Paris and returned to the sewer system through a closed circuit, with the sand donated to beach volleyball courts at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris.
The campaign spread quickly across the surf community – most happily surprised by the collaboration, others stoked that the spotlight is finally hitting closer to home. Could this draw a more fashion-conscious crowd to the water, or will it nudge surfers toward the quiet luxury movement? Speaking to a fashion publication, Pharrell said he was thinking of the kind of executive who likes to catch waves in Costa Rica or Montauk, “but is also a bit of a peacock.”
It’s not the first time we’re seeing a luxury brand enter an extreme, adventurous sport. For years, Prada and Red Bull have made unlikely neighbours – the Italian fashion house quietly appearing alongside the energy drink giant whenever a record-breaking moment puts their athletes in the spotlight. While the world definitely needs big brands to finally invest in and contribute to these communities, the question always remains the same: are they here for the culture, or just for the aesthetic? But as far as this show is concerned, pairing one of surfing’s most stylish athletes with one of fashion’s most iconic houses made for a pleasing visual, if nothing else.
