Pharrell Williams's star-studded Louis Vuitton show in Paris is worth the wait
When fashion insiders received notice on Tuesday afternoon that Pharrell Williams's Louis Vuitton show at Paris fashion week would be rescheduled to 9pm, there were collective sighs of annoyance.
But all was forgiven when they arrived at the space behind the Pompidou Centre to be told that Beyoncé and Jay-Z would be attending. The star and her husband, and nephew Julez Smith, joined what was already a starry front row - which included Omar Sy, Steve McQueen, PinkPantheress, Spike Lee, Emile Smith Rowe and Victor Wembanyama.
Even without a megastar, the show was worth the wait. Williams took over as creative director of menswear in June 2023 and his spring-summer 2026 collection was his best yet – with louche retro tailoring and unusual combinations such as cargo pants and a shrunken sweater.
The collection excelled when performing one of luxury's current favourite tricks - making premium versions of everyday items. Here, that included a striped polo shirt, and a boxy work shirt and chinos. This look, worn with a ribbed vest, is likely to be copied by those who like fashion but lack Louis Vuitton budgets.
Entitled Paris to India, Williams was inspired by what the press release called 'the multifaceted sensibilities of present-day Indian sartorialism'. In practice, the influence of India's aesthetics could be seen most clearly in ornate decoration on the trunks some models wheeled down the runway.
The set of the show was created by Bijoy Jain, the founder of architects Studio Mumbai. A giant rendering of snakes and ladders – an Indian game that dates to the second century – was hand-painted on the catwalk. A track called Yaara Punjabi, co-produced by the Indian composer AR Rahman, featured on the soundtrack played by a live orchestra.
If collaboration with Indian creatives gave voice to the culture that provided inspiration to a collection by a European megabrand, there were also some slightly more reductive tropes, as with the embroidered exotic animals. These made use of imagery originally created by Louis Vuitton in 2007 for Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited, a film set in India but remaining, as critic Ellen E Jones wrote last year, a 'whimsically white nostalgia-world'. However, items such as striped ties were a nod to India's beloved cricket, while a trekking-adjacent backpack with camping roll felt more playful and relevant to now.
The strength of this collection shows that Williams's point of view is now coming through more in his work at Louis Vuitton. For autumn-winter 2025, he collaborated with his longtime friend Nigo, who founded the streetwear brand A Bathing Ape. His skateboarding past is evident in the fact that the skater Tyshawn Jones is a Louis Vuitton ambassador and the brand's new Tilted trainer is being compared to classic Vans.
Williams has consistently brought his famous friends and star power. He was co-chair of the Metropolitan Museum's Superfine exhibition, which celebrated Black style and was part-sponsored by Louis Vuitton. He dressed celebrities attending the Met Gala, including Doechii, Future, Sabrina Carpenter and Jeremy Allen White.
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Not all of Williams's work here was celebrated. The symbolism of a LV monogram on Doechii's cheek was criticised by some online. 'LOVE me some Doechii … I'm absolutely not into this European logo 'branded' on her skin for a night celebrating the labor and ingenuity of Black culture and Black men,' wrote a Threads user.
This is not the first time Williams has faced some backlash at Louis Vuitton, a $1m (£734,705) bag made from crocodile skin was described as 'an insensitive declaration of global north privilege' by the fashion commentator Caryn Franklin in 2023, while his continued use of fur prompted a Peta protester at the premiere of his animated film Piece by Piece in 2024.
Louis Vuitton's parent company, LVMH, reported that revenue in the group's fashion and leather goods divisions fell by 11% and 3% respectively in the first quarter of 2025. Even with these skirmishes of controversy, the brand will be hoping that Williams' combination of glitzy friends and pop culture-friendly designs will ensure an uptick in sales.
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The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Brit paedo duped me into rounding up kids for Disneyland child wedding…his girl ‘bride', 9, has been saved from hell
THE casting director behind the Disneyland child wedding has revealed she was duped into rounding up kids to watch Brit paedophile Jacky Jhaj "marry" a nine-year-old girl. Amande Cross says she was initially presented with a "high-end luxury wedding-themed rehearsal" which soon transcended into the "extremely disturbing" event. 8 8 8 8 Jhaj, 39, previously jailed in the UK for child sex offences, was arrested for putting on the sick stunt below the Sleeping Beauty castle as hundreds of alarmed "guests" watched. The disgraced self-proclaimed director and actor from Feltham was put away for four years in 2016 after being found guilty on four counts of sexual activity with two 15-year-olds. His latest arrest came on Saturday, with French police charging him with multiple offences on Tuesday in connection with the staged stunt. The sex offender was allegedly the "groom" in the twisted fake wedding ceremony - involving a nine-year-old girl as "bride". Staff at Disney immediately called cops after seeing a "scared and confused" child in a big dress with four-inch heels taped to her feet, reports French newspaper Le Parisien. Jhaj was described as the "mastermind" behind the disgusting stunt. I'm most all relieved this little girl has been saved from hell Anande CrossCasting Director, Le Casting Parisien The Facebook ad for the abominable production was revealed, offering kids as young as five 200 euros to be an "extra" in the fake wedding. Now the casting director behind the stunt has spoken out on her devastation after being duped by sick Jhaj. Anande Cross of Le Casting Parisien told The Sun how the "wedding-themed rehearsal" turned out to be something "extremely disturbing and unqualifiable," orchestrated by "a very sick man". She said as soon as she "found out" what was happening, she "reached out to the extras to provide moral support" and "began documenting everything for possible legal follow-up". Anande explained: "I cannot express strongly enough the revulsion and grief I feel for what occurred. "I am particularly heartbroken for the families and children who were present that day, some of whom were kicked out of the park like criminals, left stranded in the early hours of the morning. "It was inhumane, and I stand in full solidarity with the French artistic community I'm part of." Both Disneyland Paris and the "guests" claim they were deliberately misled - none knew a child would be involved in the mock wedding. Anande added that she is "relieved that this known predator" is "behind bars" but remains concerned of the "systematic failures that allowed this to happen in the first place". Jhaj has reportedly been charged with fraud, breach of trust, money laundering and identity theft after the horror incident. Anande said: "I stand today in anger and fierce solidarity with all the victims and I'm most all relieved this little girl has been saved from hell. "I want to thank the extraordinary artists, actors, and models who showed strength, calm, and unity during this nightmare. 8 8 8 "I now know that you can never be too thorough when vetting clients, and I vow to uphold even stricter investigative standards moving forward." The casting director concluded how justice mustn't be "selective" but be "for all". 100 kids aged five to 15 were required in the production, according to the ad, with those involved having to maintain "absolute confidentiality". Their role was to "stand up, sit, applaud and play their part in the prestigious gathering". A private bus service to transport"guests" from the Paris city centre to the "exceptional live shoot" was offered. And those who attended what was dubbed in the ad a "high-end wedding rehearsal" were required to wear a "very elegant evening outfit" like a "suit, evening dress or tuxedo". Jhaj and the "bride" girl's 41-year-old mother, believed to be Ukrainian, were arrested, along with two others involved in the ceremony. The sex offender even conned Disney officials by "assuming the identity of a Latvian national and using false documents to secure the contract" of the park, according to a Meaux prosecuting spokesman. Prosecutors confirmed on Tuesday that Jhaj is known in the UK "for sexual offences against minors" and is on the run from British authorities, French prosecutors say. Before his arrest, he drove around the streets of Hounslow, offering girls alcohol and claiming to be a Hollywood film producer. After his conviction, Detective Constable Nav Johal, the investigating officer from Hounslow CID, said: "Thanks to the courage and bravery of the young vulnerable victims who gave evidence, a dangerous sexual predator has been brought to justice. 'I am hopeful that the verdict and sentencing will give them some peace and closure, and they will be able to, in time, move forward from this difficult period." But the convicted paedophile has pulled a string of distasteful stunts since being released from jail. In September 2024, Jhaj staged an explosion using an old BBC truck and Union Jack-draped vehicles packed with explosives, filming himself naked as the blaze spiralled out of control behind him. A year before the explosion, footage surfaced of Jhaj mixing with around 200 children and 100 young women at a film shoot in London's Leicester Square. A Met spokesperson said: "A 39-year-old man is wanted by the Met Police for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a breach of a Sex Offenders' Register notification requirement. "We are aware the man has been arrested in France for other matters and officers are in contact with the French authorities." 8
Metro
4 hours ago
- Metro
Glastonbury feels like the safest place in the world to be gay
There are so many magical things you'll find at Glastonbury you can't find anywhere else. Of course, there's the music, with the chance to see some of the world's biggest and most exciting acts all in one space, for one flat price. There's the endless opportunity of fun at every corner – this will be my 10th Glastonbury now and I've only experienced a fraction of Worthy Farm. It's a city of wild abandon, the most beautiful people, and I've never left feeling quite like the same person I arrived as. There's something comforting in disconnecting entirely. Even the crushing news of Brexit (that freakishly broke through) couldn't dampen my spirits in 2016 – at least not entirely. But the absolute highlight for me, and I imagine other LGBTQ+ people, is that it actually feels like the one place in the whole world where I can be completely free and be totally accepted without any fear that my sheer existence will in any way put me in danger. If anything, being queer isn't just accepted at Glastonbury, it is so celebrated. I never really had any ambition to go to Glastonbury until my first time in 2011. I had friends who went every year and I honestly didn't have a single drop of jealousy. When it rained, it poured and Glastonbury just looked like paying £300 to experience a disaster movie. With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications! The line-ups were not for pop fans like me, my holy trinity of headliners at the time being Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Beyoncé. Then, of course, Beyoncé, somewhat controversially at the time, was confirmed as the Sunday night Pyramid Stage headliner and I've never wanted to go to anything more. With tickets sold out, I didn't see how that could happen. Thankfully, wherever there's a will there's a way and by some miracle two days before the gates opened I got offered the chance to work on a bar and I couldn't refuse. That year, I went for Beyoncé and Beyoncé alone. Of course, she was just as electrifying as I'd hoped. But it's the people, the spirit and the safety of Glastonbury that's kept me going back every year since. I'd never seen or heard anything about its queer spaces until I'd been there – my interpretation of Glastonbury was so wildly off the mark. Essentially, it becomes one of the most densely populated cities in the world when those gates open to the moment they close, with all walks of life living among each other with total inclusivity – drag queens striding alongside groups of lads who look like they could be on a stag do without batting an eye. I remember in 2015 waking up in my tent to the news that the US Supreme Court had legalised same-sex marriage across all 50 states, a moment I wasn't sure I'd ever see in my lifetime. I was genuinely quite shell-shocked and later became quite emotional at a bar when I started talking about it with friends. We started cheersing to such a landmark moment before crowds erupted to join in, and I could feel how much it meant to everyone around us. It felt like this was exactly where I wanted to celebrate and this crowd was who I wanted to celebrate with. The first time I ever went to Glastonbury with a partner was 2022. That was also the first time it really dawned on me that I felt so much safer there than I'd ever felt with him before. I never wanted to let him go and I didn't feel even remotely self-conscious. At home, we come through the door, throw our bags on the floor and immediately cuddle on the sofa. Rarely are we not entangled in some sort of embrace. That changes once we leave our flat, as it does for most people – excessive PDA when others are trying to enjoy their day in peace should be outlawed. At Glastonbury though, beyond just feeling safe, it feels essential to pack on the PDA, to never let each other go and show everyone you're in love – whether that's with your partner or your best friend. I'm much more affectionate with my partner at Glastonbury than I would be in any other area that's not specifically LGBTQ+ because, despite its enormous population, I very rarely hear of any instances of homophobia at the festival. Even though my partner and I live in east London, which has a thriving gay population, Pride flags are regularly vandalised, queer people are subjected to homophobic abuse, and the danger of that rarely leaves my mind. I just can't imagine ever feeling like that at Glastonbury. As an LGBTQ+ person living in an increasingly homophobic country tumbling down the Rainbow Map, I feel we have to step back even further from showing affection in public. It doesn't always feel safe and even when it does, who knows what or who is around the corner. So when those gates open at Worthy Farm, I don't just know some of the best memories of my life are going to be made, they're going to be made because I'm stepping into the most queer-friendly place. By day, I see people soaking up everyone around without any fear or judgement, enjoying some of the best music in the world. By night, if you like to party, Glastonbury is whatever you want it to be – but if you're gay, it is quite literally the most electric experience you could ever have. NYC Downlow is by far the best club in the world, packed with sweaty, topless ravers erupting with queer energy – easily the closest thing anyone can experience to the defiant hedonism of 80s gay club culture. If you can get in, which is in itself harder than getting a Glastonbury ticket, it's become a rite of passage for queer icons playing over the weekend to pop up for a secret set, which is always the highlight if you're fortunate enough to see it. Last year we were just a few feet from Jessie Ware moments after seeing her headline West Holts and I briefly froze in sheer amazement before dancing harder than I've ever danced before. In 2024, Glastonbury introduced a new LGBTQ+ venue too, a hairdresser-turned-nightclub Scissors, a femme-queer venue, which couldn't be more needed as we see more and more venues catering to this community close their doors. More Trending And then there's the line-up, which is getting gayer and gayer. This year there are so many queer artists on the bill: Scissor Sisters, Doechii, Anohni and the Johnsons are all headlining across various stages over the three nights, while Jade and Charli XCX have devoted much of their career to lifting the queer community. I don't know how it felt to be gay at Glastonbury before 2011, but I know there's nowhere else in the world I'd rather be gay than there. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: Emily Eavis insists 'everyone's welcome' at Glastonbury after Kneecap backlash MORE: Chart-topping popstar drops major hint she's Glastonbury's mystery Patchwork performer MORE: ITV viewers 'love' new LGBTQ+ sitcom with all 6 episodes free to binge
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Brit who 'married nine-year-old at Disneyland Paris' is convicted paedophile who paid for children to worship him at fake West End premiere, masterminded scam funeral with young actors and detonated explosion while naked opposite the O2
The man who pretended to marry a nine-year-old girl at Disneyland Paris is a convicted British paedophile behind a string of bizarre social media stunts, MailOnline can reveal. Londoner Jaskarn or 'Jacky' Jhaj, 39, was arrested after paying £111,000 to stage the vile fake event at the fairlytale Sleeping Beauty castle, featuring musicians, a cake and chairs for hundreds of 'guests. He has been charged with fraud, breach of trust, money laundering and identity theft, French prosecutors said on Tuesday evening. Posing as the 22-year-old 'groom', Jhaj hired professional make-up artists to disguise his appearance, according to police sources in Paris. MailOnline has confirmed that fantasist Jhaj, who has a weird track record of elaborate bad-taste hoaxes, was jailed for four years in 2016 for grooming and sexually assaulting two 15-year-old schoolgirls. He lured them to parties by pretending to be a top Hollywood film producer and plying them with alcohol. Last year, he organised a mysterious fake funeral with an empty coffin, even hiring extras as mourners at the famous London Oratory in Brompton Road, Knightsbridge. The sex offender was also behind a similarly bizarre event in 2023 when a fake red carpet scene was shot in London's West End with 90 children and dozens more teenage extras hired to provide a crowd for the filming. Child actors as young as six were recruited as extras dressed in school uniforms and asked to pretend to faint as Jhaj paraded up and down wearing a red tuxedo as if he were a film star at a premier outside the Odeon Luxe cinema in Leicester Square. He was arrested following the phony movie premiere on suspicion of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and was released on bail. Jhaj, who poses as a film producer, was subsequently fined £1,500 at Isleworth Crown Court last July for breaching notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order. The source of funding for his expensive set-ups is a mystery. In another of his stunts, last year, Jhaj, who has boasted on camera about being branded 'a dangerous sexual predator', was filmed naked in Silvertown, east London as he blew up a fake police van, sending its roof 50ft into the air. He was filming a scene for a production dubbed 'Project Dover' - which also involved a van with BBC World branding being set alight. In the 2024 stunt, Jhaj was filmed at a typewriter surrounded by hundreds of newspapers on the floor before he flicked cigarettes at a police car, a police van and a BBC World News-branded lorry which all exploded into a huge blaze that terrified locals. Questions remained over how the convicted criminal was apparently allowed to perform his terrifying stunt so publicly. This week, the eerie footage emerged of the supposed wedding between a '22-year-old' Brit and a nine-year-old girl at the Disney resort outside Paris. Around 100 seated guests were waiting for the ceremony to start as a female violin trio played at dawn before a stage strewn with flowers. French broadcaster BFM shared the bizarre footage as well as an image of a pink ribbon bracelet that read 'Margo & Jack 21st June 2025'. The Brit was arrested after park staff were shocked to see the 'scared and confused' child turn up for the event wearing what was said to be a bridal dress and four-inch heels taped to her feet, according to Le Parisien. Jean-Baptiste Bladier, the Meaux prosecutor, said the British suspect was also being investigated for 'corruption of a minor'. He is said to have disguised himself to 'play the role of the groom, having made up his face professionally', added M. Bladier. The girl's mother, who is believed to be of Ukrainian heritage and was later arrested, had reportedly said she wanted her daughter to feel like a Disney 'princess' for the day, according to DW. The girl is said to have been carried around because she could not walk in the extravagant costume. In his London funeral stunt, Jhaj reportedly paid over £10,000 to a funeral director for the service. The elaborate setup included a horse-drawn carriage, two luxury cars, and a full choir. However, when Father Rupert McHardy, 49, arrived in his robes to conduct the ceremony, he sensed that something was amiss. The 'guests' who showed up for the ceremony were late, many dressed in black puffer jackets and face masks. Father McHardy had been informed that the funeral was for Lauris Zaube, a 23-year-old Latvian man missing since a New Year's Eve party near an iced-over dam west of Riga. Jhaj, posing as the missing man's brother and using the name 'Clyde,' wore dark glasses and declined to provide more information when asked by Father McHardy. The sick hoax sparked international media attention when it emerged that Fr McHardy had dramatically stopped the service upon realising that it was being filmed, that the mourners were fakes and the coffin was empty. The serial prankster features in a two-hour online film uploaded in 2020 with the title 'Dangerous Sexual Predator' - appearing to refer to a description the police made of him when convicted four years earlier. The footage features an often bare-chested Jhaj driving around in a 4x4 vehicle filmed on a dashboard camera, with a regular flurry of young - often female - passengers joining him. In one section a young male passenger asks, 'What do you work as?', with Jhaj smirking as he replies: 'Do a few things, bruv, don't worry about it.' He is heard describing one female passenger as looking 'like a young Keira Knightley', while another schoolgirl protests she cannot get out of his vehicle 'because the teachers will see'. In this week's Disneyland stunt, 200 adult guests and 100 children aged five to 15 had been hired online for what was bizarrely advertised as a 'chic and elegant' 'rehearsal' wedding, Le Parisien reported. They were allegedly paid €200 each and had to 'enter the room, sit down, stand up, applaud and participate naturally and elegantly in this event filmed in a festive and classy atmosphere'. But organisers had booked the park for a function they said would be a genuine wedding ceremony. Police arrived and took the man into custody along with the girl's 41-year-old mother. The 'groom' - who the mother allegedly said was a 'friend' - later told police the aim had been to make a video for social media. The Meaux prosecutors said four people were questioned, the groom, believed to be the British organiser of the event, the mother of the child, a 41-year-old Ukrainian woman; and two Latvian nationals aged 55 and 24.' The 55-year-old man has claimed he was recruited to play the role of the bride's father for 12,000 euros but discovered last minute she was nine years old, local news reports. The prosecutor's statement added 'police custody of the British suspect and a Latvian national was also extended on charges of fraud and money laundering'.
