Pharrell Williams teams with Nigo for Vuitton show at the Louvre

By Mimosa Spencer

PARIS (Reuters) - Louis Vuitton men's creative director, Pharrell Williams, drew his audience to a rear courtyard of the Louvre Museum after dark on Tuesday for a fall-winter catwalk show, kicking off Paris Fashion Week with a line-up of jazzed up streetwear.

Models strode around the set to marching music, parading chunky wool suits, short bomber jackets, leather bermudas and coats in pastels, autumn tones and psychedelic renditions of the brand's signature logo patterns. There were colourful Speedy bags, lobster-claw charms, pearl embellishments, thick jewellery and utility pockets in suede leather.

For this collection, Williams, who is also famous as a musician, teamed up with his longtime collaborator, Japanese fashion designer Nigo, currently creative director of another LVMH-owned label, Kenzo.

The pair have been active in street culture for decades, founding the label Billionaire Boys Club in 2003 and playing a role in streetwear's rise to prominence, blending music with fashion.

In the front row, LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, who attended U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday, sat between his wife, Helene Mercier, and NBA basketball player Victor Wembanyama, tapping his foot to the music.

Paris men's Fashion Week runs through Jan. 26 and is followed by Haute Couture shows.

Globally, high-end labels are grappling with a rare slowdown in appetite for fashion and accessories, with the key Chinese market a particular source of concern, while hopes are pinned on the U.S. market for growth this year.

(Reporting by Mimosa Spencer; Editing by Sandra Maler)