Pharrell Williams Kicks Off Paris Fashion Week with Louis Vuitton Show

A model presents a creation for the Spring/Summer 2025 Menswear Collection by the US designer Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton fashion house during the Paris Men's Fashion Week, in Paris, France, 18 June 2024. EPA/ANDRE PAIN
A model presents a creation for the Spring/Summer 2025 Menswear Collection by the US designer Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton fashion house during the Paris Men's Fashion Week, in Paris, France, 18 June 2024. EPA/ANDRE PAIN
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Pharrell Williams Kicks Off Paris Fashion Week with Louis Vuitton Show

A model presents a creation for the Spring/Summer 2025 Menswear Collection by the US designer Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton fashion house during the Paris Men's Fashion Week, in Paris, France, 18 June 2024. EPA/ANDRE PAIN
A model presents a creation for the Spring/Summer 2025 Menswear Collection by the US designer Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton fashion house during the Paris Men's Fashion Week, in Paris, France, 18 June 2024. EPA/ANDRE PAIN

Louis Vuitton men's creative director Pharrell Williams took to an outdoor, turf-lined runway at UNESCO headquarters on Tuesday, opening Paris Fashion week with an evening show.

The world's biggest fashion label, known for its checked damier patterns and monogrammed trunks, drew on a travel theme for the spring summer 2025 men's collection, with a towering globe sculpture, rows of international flags and -- in the distance -- the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop, Reuters reported.

Models strode down the grass catwalk in crisply-tailored suits, slick bomber jackets and fur coats, with rhinestone-encrusted sunglasses and chunky, airplane-wing brooches, while an orchestra and choir performed music produced by Williams.

The LVMH-owned label drew an audience of 1,500, as well as screaming crowds on the street outside, angling to catch arrivals of celebrity guests, who included NBA basketball player Victor Wembanyama, actor Michael Fassbender and K-pop star Jackson Wang.

The Paris men's fashion shows, which will be followed by Haute Couture week, come as France gears up for the summer Olympics, as well as two rounds of elections in the coming weeks, which have thrown the country into political disarray.

Globally, high end labels face waning appetite for fashion and accessories, with the key Chinese market a particular source of concern.



Gap's Turnaround Efforts Drive Quarterly Beat in Surprise Early Announcement

FILE PHOTO: The Gap logo is seen on the front of the company's store on Oxford Street in London, Britain, July 1, 2021. REUTERS/John Sibley/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Gap logo is seen on the front of the company's store on Oxford Street in London, Britain, July 1, 2021. REUTERS/John Sibley/File Photo
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Gap's Turnaround Efforts Drive Quarterly Beat in Surprise Early Announcement

FILE PHOTO: The Gap logo is seen on the front of the company's store on Oxford Street in London, Britain, July 1, 2021. REUTERS/John Sibley/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Gap logo is seen on the front of the company's store on Oxford Street in London, Britain, July 1, 2021. REUTERS/John Sibley/File Photo

Gap on Thursday surpassed Wall Street expectations for the second quarter, as a surprise early announcement of its results showed shoppers turned to its Old Navy and namesake brands to snap up trendy and fashionable clothing.
Shares of Gap closed up nearly 2% at $22.8. The stock was halted during the day following a Bloomberg News report that said the apparel retailer's earnings press release and presentation appeared on its website in the morning, hours earlier than scheduled.
A Gap spokesperson told Reuters that the company's results were briefly and accidentally posted on its website due to an administrative error. It was originally scheduled to release the numbers after the bell.
The Banana Republic owner is in the midst of a brand turnaround under CEO Richard Dickson and has been ramping up its stores with fresher and more chic styles to bring back lost customers.
Dickson on a post-earnings call said Gap's consumer base has broadened and the company is seeing more sell-throughs at full-price, resulting in less discounting.
People, who are otherwise saving dollars and curbing spending on big-ticket items, are more than willing to go all out and spend on in-trend footwear and clothing such as those from Abercrombie & Fitch, Roger Federer-backed On and Deckers Outdoor's Hoka.
"(Gap) is being managed better than it was ... it is not like all four brands are really completely healthy, but they are trending in the right direction under the new management," Morningstar analyst David Swartz said.
Comparable sales at Old Navy rose 5% during the quarter, while the Gap brand posted 3% growth. Banana Republic sales, however, were flat as the brand continues to focus on fixing the fundamentals and improve its pricing and assortment architecture.
Gap's second-quarter net sales rose 5% to $3.72 billion, beating LSEG estimates of $3.63 billion.
It earned 54 cents per share, also topping analysts' average estimate of 40 cents.
The apparel retailer reaffirmed its annual net sales forecast and expects gross margin to expand by about 200 basis points versus its prior forecast of at least a 150-basis-point increase.