Beyonce, Jay-Z and Rihanna watch as Pharrell Williams takes over Paris Fashion Week

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Jay-Z and BeyonceImage source, Getty Images
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Jay-Z and Beyonce were in Paris to support their pal Pharrell during Paris's men's fashion week

Stars including Beyonce, Jay-Z and Rihanna watched as Pharrell Williams took over Paris Fashion Week in style.

The Get Lucky hitmaker-turned-designer made his debut as Louis Vuitton's men's creative director on Tuesday evening.

He turned Pont Neuf, the city's oldest bridge, into a celeb-filled, gold-carpeted and gospel-tinged disco.

It was the first show since the death of his predecessor, former Kanye West collaborator Virgil Abloh, widely seen as a pioneer the industry.

In essence the event - also attended by NBA star LeBron James, actress Zendaya, reality star Kim Kardashian and supermodel Naomi Campbell - was as much of a party and a spectacle as it was a fashion show.

Hip-hop star Jay-Z played a live concert on the bridge at the end of the night, with a joyful cameo coming from Pharrell himself on their collaborative tracks I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me) and Frontin'.

Rihanna, meanwhile, began trending after she wore an outfit in the "damoflage print", created by Pharrell for his forthcoming 2024 spring/summer range, which revealed her baby bump., external

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A suited Pharrell thanks people for attending his fashion show in Paris

Williams, 50, told the AFP news agency before the show that he was mindful of the history behind the modern dominance of black culture.

"I think these corporations are waking up, slowly but surely, I think they're understanding that we have flavour and that we have something really interesting to offer," he said.

"Historically and factually, it's been whitewashed [but] while that's been tough on us historically, it's kind of made it easy when it comes to taste because we bring such a striking juxtaposition."

He added: "It's striking when you see LeBron James wearing something, when you hear Jay-Z's lyrics, when you see and hear Beyonce, the energy and voice."

The NERD and Neptunes singer, rapper and producer also paid tribute to Abloh, who died of cancer aged 41 in 2021. "I collaborated with him on a couple of things," said Williams. "Spiritually, his energy is very much still here."

Image source, Mohammed Badra/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
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A model shows off items from Pharrell's spring/summer 2024 collection

Image source, Reuters
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Louis Vuitton's familiar check patterns and leather work featured heavily on the runway, as well as military-style camouflage

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Pharrell Williams wore his own pixelated "damoflage" print patterned suit

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Classic bags came out in primary colours

Image source, Mohammed Badra/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
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More models strutting up and down the catwalk

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England footballers Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham joined NBA star Jaylen Brown on the celebrity-filled front row

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Kim Kardashian alongside performer Jared Leto