Louis Vuitton’s 2026 Spring-Summer Men’s Show has just concluded at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. This season’s collection draws inspiration from “Modern India’s Diverse Attire”, with Men’s Creative Director Pharrell Williams finding inspiration in India’s natural and urban landscapes, textile and dyeing techniques, mountaineering culture, and cricket. The ready-to-wear and bag collections incorporate decorative elements such as Indian “Snakes and Ladders” game motifs, flora and fauna patterns, metallic wire weaving, and 3D bead embroidery, showcasing the fusion of Dandy aesthetics with Indian style.

This season’s runway was specially designed by Indian architect Bijoy Jain, transforming the space into a life-sized traditional Indian “Snakes and Ladders” game board. Models walked between the serpentine game paths, as if embarking on a journey full of fun and challenges. “Snakes and Ladders” originated from 2nd-century Indian mandala paintings, requiring players to climb ladders while avoiding snakes to reach the destination.

· Frog and Elephant Designs ·

The most eye-catching pieces in the new bag collection are the frog 🐸 and elephant 😘-shaped Trunk mini hard cases, paying tribute to Indian culture and wildlife through heritage trunk-making techniques. In Indian tradition, frogs symbolize fertility and abundance, and there’s even a rare Hindu “frog wedding” rain ritual where frogs from different villages are married to pray for rain. India is also home to 60% of Asia’s wild elephant population.

· LV x The Darjeeling Limited ·

The LV x The Darjeeling Limited collaboration revives the prints Louis Vuitton designed for the 2007 film “The Darjeeling Limited,” featuring leopards, elephants, antelopes, giraffes, rhinos, zebras, and palm trees from various continents through embossing and screen printing. Available in sand-colored semi-vegetable tanned leather, Damier canvas, and embroidered denim, with options for custom initials.

· Fading Effects ·

Traditional Indian textile and dyeing techniques are applied in this season’s ready-to-wear and bags, creating unique sun-bleached effects. The Monogram Pigment collection features gradient hues from burgundy to orange, violet to natural on faded canvas, while the Deep Dye collection uses dip-dyeing for a dusk-like indigo Damier jacquard denim.

· Packaging Collection ·

The Packaging collection draws inspiration from LV’s classic shopping bags, featuring solid canvas or recycled leather-woven Damier patterns this season, including practical pieces like messenger bags, totes, and the new Takeaway bag.

· Gemstone Inlays and Carpet Weaving ·

Another group of bags incorporates traditional Indian gemstone inlays, henna painting, and carpet weaving techniques. The Speedy P9 features a “Tree of Life” motif, while the Keepall showcases Monogram patterns with gemstone inlays, resembling exquisite handicrafts.

· Hand-Painted Stripes ·

The striped print collection is inspired by LV’s archival Rayee striped canvas trunks and Indian cricket uniforms, featuring hand-painted stripes on soft leather that resemble marks left by journeys and time.

· Solid Leather ·

The Louis Vuitton Malletier collection draws from bomber jackets, crafted from silky, distressed calfskin, introducing the new Needle bag and additional sizes for the Nil bag. The silver frog charm on the zipper is a standout detail.

· Exotic Leathers and Metallic Thread Embroidery ·

Another selection features precious exotic leathers. The Steamer Workwear bag is crafted from deep blue crocodile leather with workwear-style pockets and silver chain hardware; the Squeeze Trunk soft case comes in Sahara green or orange crocodile with bronze hardware; the Mini Shopper showcases minimalist black crocodile, along with faded ostrich leather Nil and Speedy P9 bags. A purple Speedy P9 features metallic thread embroidery for Monogram patterns with a metallic sheen, embodying refined Dandy aesthetics.